Alec Baldwin sues prosecution over Rust case

Alec Baldwin has sued the prosecution over the Rust case.

The actor has filed a civil rights lawsuit against Santa Fe officials for malicious prosecution and civil rights violations for pursuing criminal charges against him over the accidental shooting death of Rust cinematographer Halyna Hutchins in 2021.

In a lawsuit filed on Thursday, Baldwin claimed that prosecutors deliberately withheld evidence that would have exonerated him and sought to prosecute him for political gain.

The lawsuit names Santa Fe District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies and special prosecutor Kari Morrissey, accusing them of tampering with evidence and conspiring to "maliciously bring about or advance Baldwin's trial and conviction", according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The suit comes two weeks after the state attorney general declined to pursue an appeal of a New Mexico judge's order dismissing the case.

In a statement, Baldwin's attorneys Alex Spiro and Luke Nikas claimed the prosecution had "trampled" the Beetlejuice actor's rights.

"Criminal prosecutions are supposed to be about the search for truth and justice, not to pursue personal or political gain or harass the innocent," the statement read. "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."

In a separate statement, Morrisey said she learned in 2023 that Baldwin "intended to file a retaliatory civil lawsuit". The special prosecutor added, "We look forward to our day in court."

Baldwin went on trial in Santa Fe in July 2024, charged with involuntary manslaughter. The case was dismissed three days into the trial after Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer ruled that Morrissey had improperly withheld evidence from the defence.