Four years after the filming of Rust, New Mexico authorities moved Alec Baldwin's malicious prosecution lawsuit to federal court.
The lawsuit, filed this week, is the latest twist in a long legal saga following the actor's death on set in October 2021. cameraman Galina Hutchins.
Baldwin, the 67-year-old star and producer of the western, was charged with manslaughter for his role in Hutchins' accidental shooting. But the judge presiding over Baldwin's case suddenly dropped the charge against him during his trial in July 2024 after concluding that prosecutors withheld evidence that could have been useful to his legal team.
Six months later, Baldwin sued the New Mexico district attorney and special prosecutors, alleging malicious prosecution. The actor claimed he was being made a celebrity scapegoat due to intense media pressure on local authorities to solve the high-profile case.
His lawsuit was brought against New Mexico Special Prosecutor Kari T. Morrissey, 1st Judicial District. Atty. Mary Carmack-Altwies and Santa Fe County Sheriff's deputies who led the investigation into Hutchins' death.
The defendants denied Baldwin's allegations.
The wrongful prosecution claim against Baldwin was first filed in New Mexico state court in Santa Fe.
On Tuesday, the defendants, including Morrissey, exercised their legal right to take the case to federal court. The decision was made in part because “Mr. Baldwin asserted federal civil rights claims in his suit,” said Albuquerque attorney Luis Robles, who represents the defendants.
Additionally, Baldwin does not live in New Mexico, where the case was filed.
Baldwin could object to the move and petition to have it returned to state court. His team was not available for comment Wednesday.
In July, a New Mexico judge dismissed Baldwin's malicious charges, citing a 90-day inactivity in the case. Baldwin's legal team filed a motion to reopen the case, and the judge agreed to the request.
This prompted the defendants to take the case to a higher court.
During his trial in Santa Fe last year, Baldwin's lawyers sought to divert attention from whether Baldwin pulled the trigger during the accidental shooting to where the fatal bullet was fired.
Baldwin's lawyers have repeatedly accused law enforcement officials and prosecutors of botching the case, including withholding potential evidence – a batch of bullets they say could be linked to the one that killed Hutchins.
