PREVIEW

A judge has dismissed Alec Baldwin's misconduct lawsuit against the prosecutors in the Rust trial. The 30 Rock actor went on trial for involuntary manslaughter in July 2024 over the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, who was fatally shot on the New Mexico set of the movie Rust in 2021 when Baldwin's prop weapon accidentally fired. The criminal case was sensationally dismissed three days into the trial when the judge ruled that the prosecution had improperly withheld evidence from the defence. The 67-year-old subsequently filed a civil lawsuit against special prosecutor Kari Morrissey, District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies and other defendants in January. He alleged that they violated his rights during their "malicious and unlawful pursuit" to make him the "scapegoat" for the incident. However, Judge Casey Fitch dismissed Baldwin's lawsuit on Wednesday due to a lack of "significant action" in the case over the past 180 days. He ordered the case to be dismissed without prejudice, meaning it could be revived at a later date. The Beetlejuice actor's lawyer, Luke Nikas, explained to multiple outlets that settlement talks were underway and the lawsuit would be refiled if they fell through. "We have been in good faith discussions with the parties to the lawsuit and will be refiling promptly if those discussions are not promptly and favourably resolved," he said in a statement. Baldwin, who has always denied pulling the trigger on the prop gun, accused the defendants of malicious abuse of process, defamation and mishandling of evidence, among other rights violations, in his lawsuit. Several civil cases remain pending, including lawsuits against Baldwin and other Rust producers filed by Hutchins' widower and her parents. The film's armourer, Hannah Gutierrez Reed, was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in March 2024 and sentenced to 18 months in prison. She was released on parole in May this year.
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