RAMSAY DE GIVE/POOL/AFP
American actor Alec Baldwin's trial for involuntary manslaughter collapsed in spectacular fashion on Friday as a judge found key evidence over a fatal shooting on the set of "Rust" had been withheld from the defense, and dismissed the case.
Baldwin was holding a gun in the direction of Hutchins during a rehearsal in October 2021 when the weapon fired, killing Hutchins and wounding the film's director.
Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer, presiding over the trial in Santa Fe, New Mexico, said bullets potentially linked to the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins that could have been favorable to Baldwin's case had not been shared with his lawyers by police and prosecutors.
The movie's armorer Hannah Gutierrez, who loaded the fatal weapon, is already serving 18 months in prison for involuntary manslaughter.
Prosecutors claim Baldwin ignored basic gun safety laws and acted recklessly on set.
Hiss celebrity lawyer, Alex Spiro argued the actor had no responsibility for checking the weapon's deadly contents and did not know it contained live rounds.
The Hollywood A-lister immediately burst into tears, as the case - which could have seen him sentenced to 18 months in prison if found guilty - was abruptly tossed out in sensational scenes.
