Actor Alec Baldwin has filed a civil lawsuit accusing prosecutors and investigators of malicious prosecution and civil rights violations in the wake of the fatal shooting on the set of the Western film “Rust.” The lawsuit, filed Thursday in state district court in Santa Fe, comes after a judge dismissed the involuntary manslaughter charge against Baldwin in July 2024.
In the suit, Baldwin alleges that prosecutors and law enforcement intentionally mishandled evidence, seeking to scapegoat him for the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, who was tragically shot during a rehearsal in October 2021. Baldwin, who was holding the firearm at the time, has maintained that he did not pull the trigger — instead, he believes the gun discharged after he pulled back the hammer.
Defendants named in the lawsuit include special prosecutor Kari Morrissey, Santa Fe District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies, and three investigators from the Santa Fe County sheriff’s office, among others. Baldwin accuses the prosecution team of targeting him for either professional or political gain, and asserts that they mishandled crucial evidence, including ammunition related to the incident, which Baldwin’s legal team claims was intentionally overlooked.
The shooting led to the conviction of movie weapons supervisor Hannah Gutierrez-Reed for involuntary manslaughter last year, resulting in a maximum sentence of 1 ½ years in prison. Baldwin’s lawsuit also takes aim at the special prosecutor who initially handled the investigation, seeking unspecified punitive and compensatory damages, as well as attorneys’ fees and interest.
Prosecutors have denied Baldwin’s claims, with special prosecutor Morrissey stating that she was aware Baldwin was planning to file this civil lawsuit as early as October 2023. The Santa Fe sheriff’s office, however, has yet to respond to requests for comment. The state attorney general’s office, in a separate move, chose not to pursue an appeal, closing the case in December 2024.
This new legal battle adds another layer to Baldwin’s post-trial drama, which includes separate lawsuits filed by Hutchins’ family. While Baldwin has returned to public appearances, including appearances on “Saturday Night Live,” he now faces a new fight in the courts over the handling of the “Rust” shooting investigation.
