Alec Baldwin sues over involuntary manslaughter charges
Alec Baldwin is suing prosecutors and others involved in the involuntary manslaughter case against him, accusing them of malicious prosecution.
Alec Baldwin is taking legal action for malicious prosecution in connection with the charges he faced over Halyna Hutchins' death.
The 66-year-old actor was charged with involuntary manslaughter after a prop gun he was holding discharged and the cinematographer was fatally shot on the set of 'Rust' in October 2021 and now, six months after his trial collapsed, the former '30 Rock' star has made a civil complaints against prosecutors in the case, First Judicial District Attorney officials, Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office authorities and Santa Fe County Board of County Commissioners for "malicious abuse of process, intentional spoliation of evidence, defamation, and violation of the New Mexico Civil Rights Act."
According to documents obained by People magazine, Alec's lawyers alleged those named were "blinded by their desire to convict" him "for all the wrong reasons, and at any cost".
In his lawsuit, the 'Boss Baby' star mantained that, one the day of the tragedy, he was handed a prop gun and a crew member called out "cold gun" to "assure" him and those nearby that the weapon only had "dummy rounds" installed.
But the complaint noted: "The prop fired a live round that killed Hutchins."
The charges against Alec were dismissed last July after his team alleged prosecutors had hidden evidence, and in his lawsuit, he argued "certain defendents" had deliberately concealed evidence and lied while on the stand in order to make him a "scapegoat".
He wants the defendants to be "held accountable" for their "malicious and unlawful pursuit" against him.
The 'Beetlejuice' actor accused special prosecutor Kari Morrisey of having delivered "inconsistent" testimony on evidence she allegedly concealed, while the lawsuit suggested District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies defamed the star when she said during an interview with CNN in 2023 that he “had a duty to make sure the set was safe," suggesting he was at fault for Hutchins' death.
The documents stated: "The false and defamatory statements carry the unmistakable message that Baldwin committed a serious crime—i.e., that he negligently or recklessly caused the death of another human."
Alec is suing for general and/or compensatory damages - for which the amount would be decided at trial - as well as punitive damages and attorneys' fees.
His legal team, Alex Spiro and Luke Nikas, said in a statement: “Criminal prosecutions are supposed to be about the search for truth and justice, not to pursue personal or political gain or harass the innocent.
“Kari Morrissey and the other defendants violated that basic principle, over and over, and trampled on Alec Baldwin’s rights. We bring this action to hold the defendants accountable for their misconduct and to prevent them from doing this to anyone else.”
Special prosecutor Kari said she would "look forward" to the case going to court.
She said in a statement: "In October 2023 the prosecution team became aware that Mr. Baldwin intended to file a retaliatory civil lawsuit. This was three months before the grand jury indicted him. We look forward to our day in court."
