Actor Alec Baldwin has filed a lawsuit against the prosecutors involved in the criminal charges related to the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of Rust.
Baldwin is suing special prosecutor Kari Morrissey and Santa Fe District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies for malicious prosecution and violations of his civil rights.
In the lawsuit, Baldwin claims that the prosecutors were driven by a desire to convict him for the wrong reasons.
In response, Morrissey stated, “We look forward to our day in court.” BBC News has reached out to Carmack-Altwies for comment.
Baldwin’s lawsuit accuses the prosecutors of deliberately withholding evidence that could have cleared him and of trying to scapegoat him to further their case.
Morrissey commented, “In October 2023, the prosecution team became aware that Mr. Baldwin intended to file a retaliatory civil lawsuit. We look forward to our day in court.”
This lawsuit comes less than a month after Morrissey withdrew an appeal against the court’s decision to dismiss an involuntary manslaughter charge against Baldwin. The charge stemmed from the 2021 fatal shooting of Hutchins on the Rust film set.
Baldwin, who was both the lead actor and co-producer of the film, was handling a gun when it discharged, killing Hutchins and injuring director Joel Souza.
The involuntary manslaughter trial was dismissed in July after a judge ruled that police and prosecutors had mishandled evidence, including withholding ammunition evidence from the defense.
Following the filing of the lawsuit, Baldwin’s attorneys, Luke Nikas and Alex Spiro, issued a joint statement saying, “Criminal prosecutions are meant to seek truth and justice, not to pursue personal or political agendas or harass the innocent.”
They added, “Kari Morrissey and the other defendants repeatedly violated this principle and trampled on Alec Baldwin’s rights. We are taking this action to hold them accountable and to prevent such misconduct in the future.”
