Alec Baldwin weeps in court as judge dismisses case relating to death of cinematographer on film set

The evidence was collected but crucially was not put into the same file as the rest of the “Rust” case, and it was not presented to Baldwin’s team when they examined ballistics evidence in April.

The issue came up during defense questioning of crime scene technician Marissa Poppell, who acknowledged receiving the ammunition, a moment that the judge watched on a police supervisor’s body camera Friday.

Morrissey argued that the emergence of the evidence was part of an attempt by Reed to shift blame away from his daughter.

“This is a wild goose chase that has no evidentiary value whatsoever,” Morrissey said. “This is just a man trying to protect his daughter.”

The evidence might not have mattered in Baldwin’s case were it included. The charges against him did not allege that he was responsible for the deadly rounds being on set. But the defense’s lack of access to it was deemed egregious enough for a dismissal.

The trial’s other special prosecutor, Erlinda Ocampo Johnson, who delivered the state’s opening statement just two days ago, resigned from the case Friday, a move that would have been stunning in itself were it not followed moments later by the dismissal. Baldwin attorney Alex Spiro asked Morrissey whether Johnson quit based on the evidence issues, and Morrissey said she believed it was over the holding of the public hearing itself.

Morrissey said she respects the judge’s decision but that there was no reason to believe the undisclosed evidence was related to the movie set.

The trial was over after it had barely begun. Prosecutors had only started to make their case, and none of the eyewitnesses from the set had testified yet.

Baldwin’s younger brother Stephen Baldwin and older sister Elizabeth Keuchler, both actors themselves, sat behind him in the gallery next to his wife each day of the trial, which was streamed live by AP and Court TV. Reporters from both coasts filled the small courtroom and patio outside.

The judge dealt a serious blow to the prosecution’s case when on the eve of the trial on Monday when she ruled that Baldwin’s role as a producer on the film was not relevant and had to be left out.

Still, prosecutors forged ahead, painting Baldwin in their openings as a reckless performer who “played make-believe” while flouting basic gun safety rules.

Spiro, the defense lawyer, argued that his client did only what actors always do on the “Rust” set and that the necessary safety steps must be taken before a gun reaches a performer’s hand.

Baldwin was first charged with involuntary manslaughter along with Gutierrez-Reed in January 2023. The charges were dismissed a few months later, but a new team of special prosecutors got a grand jury indictment against the actor this year.

The 16 jurors, including alternates, went home Friday thinking they would return Monday for one of the most high-profile trials in state history. They were instead informed by the court that their service had ended.