Surprise Move in Alec Baldwin Trial: Judge Dismisses Jury Amid Evidence Controversy

In a surprise move, a New Mexico judge dismissed jurors in Alec Baldwin's involuntary manslaughter trial. Baldwin's lawyers allege that the police hid evidence related to the live round that killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins in 2021. The prosecution and defense dispute the handling and source of this evidence.

In a surprising turn of events, a New Mexico judge sent jurors home on the third day of the involuntary manslaughter trial against Alec Baldwin. The decision came after Baldwin's defense team argued that law enforcement had concealed evidence pertaining to the fatal live round that killed 'Rust' cinematographer Halyna Hutchins in 2021.

Baldwin's lawyers claimed the Santa Fe sheriff's office had seized live rounds but failed to document them properly or disclose their existence to the defense. 'This was hidden from us,' Baldwin's attorney Alex Spiro said during cross-examination of a sheriff's office crime scene technician, Marissa Poppel. Poppel, however, denied the rounds were hidden and stated they were tagged under a different case number.

University of New Mexico law professor Joshua Kastenberg, who is not involved in the case, noted that the charge against Baldwin could potentially be dismissed if it’s proven that the prosecution withheld evidence. The judge has yet to announce when she will make a ruling on the matter, and jurors were instructed to return on Monday without being told the reason for the unexpected recess.