'Surprise Motion to Dismiss Delays Alec Baldwin ‘Rust’ Trial as Judge Sends Jurors Home'

Entertainment | July 12, 2024, 11:13 a.m.

Alec Baldwin's lawyers are seeking to have his manslaughter case dismissed due to the state's failure to provide a batch of bullets to the defense. The defense argues that this lack of disclosure is part of a larger pattern of violations and that the case should be thrown out. The live bullets in question are believed to be connected to the shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of "Rust" in 2021. Despite the prosecution's claims that the bullets do not match, the defense contends that further analysis is necessary. The judge has postponed a decision on the defense motion, leaving the trial in limbo. The possibility of instructing jurors on the state's failure to provide evidence or delaying the trial for further examination of the bullets is being considered. The case has already presented challenges, with the judge previously rejecting a defense motion to dismiss over disclosure violations.