Alec Baldwin has filed a lawsuit against New Mexico prosecutors who charged him with manslaughter following the 2021 fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the western film Rust. Named in the suit are Santa Fe District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies, special prosecutor Kari Morrissey, the 1st Judicial District Attorney’s Office, and the Santa Fe County Board of Commissioners. Baldwin accuses them of malicious prosecution, defamation, and civil rights violations, according to the lawsuit filed in Santa Fe and reported by the Associated Press.
The lawsuit alleges that the defendants, “acting under the color of law, conspired to secure a baseless indictment against Baldwin and maliciously sought to advance his trial and conviction, thereby violating his constitutional rights through improper use of the criminal process.” It further claims that they “persistently aimed to scapegoat Baldwin for the actions and omissions of others, disregarding evidence and the law.”
In October, a New Mexico judge upheld the dismissal of the involuntary manslaughter charge against Baldwin, citing allegations that police and prosecutors had withheld evidence from his legal team. The charge had been dropped just three days into the trial.
Baldwin, who served as both lead actor and co-producer of Rust, was rehearsing a scene in October 2021 when the gun he was holding discharged, firing a live round that killed Hutchins and injured director Joel Souza. Baldwin has stated that he pulled back the gun’s hammer, but the weapon fired without him pulling the trigger.
