According to The Hollywood Reporter, Sommer’s decision follows a motion to have the case dismissed by the actor’s legal team, who claimed that prosecutors and Santa Fe sheriffs failed to provide evidence to the defense. This evidence included a collection of live ammunition and bullets, neither of which were recorded as part of the case.
Unlike Baldwin, the weapon armorer for Rust, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter and sentenced to 18 months in April for the death of Hutchins.
According to TMZ, the actor celebrated his court win with his attorney, friends, and family at the El Dorado hotel bar in New Mexico before the group enjoyed Mexican food. Baldwin’s production team, who is currently creating a documentary about the Rust on-set tragedy, also attended the celebration.
The cinematographer’s widow, Matthew Hutchins, who sued Baldwin and Rust producers for wrongful death in 2022, has re-opened his case due to alleged missed payments.
“We respect the court’s decision,” Hutchins’ attorney Brian Panish stated on Friday. “We look forward to presenting all the evidence to a jury and holding Mr. Baldwin accountable for his actions in the senseless death of Halyna Hutchins.”
