AceShowbiz - Halyna Hutchins' widower has reacted after judge abruptly dismissed the manslaughter case against Alec Baldwin on Friday, July 12. In a statement released via his attorney, Matthew Hutchins revealed his desire to continue seeking justice for the death of his wife through civil actions despite the criminal case's outcome.

"We respect the court's decision," Brian J. Parish told Deadline of the criminal case tossed out earlier today in New Mexico. "We look forward to presenting all the evidence to a jury and holding Mr. Baldwin accountable for his actions in the senseless death of Halyna Hutchins," the Panish | Shea | Ravipudi LLP attorney added of the civil matter he is working on, again.

The involuntary manslaughter case against Alec Baldwin was unexpectedly dismissed during his trial due to serious misconduct by police and prosecutors. The incident, which stemmed from the October 21, 2021 death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the film "Rust", has led to a series of legal battles involving Baldwin, the film’s production companies, and other crew members.

Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer ruled that the case against Baldwin was tainted by the prosecution's failure to disclose critical evidence. "The late discovery of this evidence during trial has impeded the effective use of evidence in such a way that it has impacted the fundamental fairness of the proceedings," Judge Sommer stated. This evidence involved live rounds that the defense argued were crucial to Baldwin’s case, and which prosecutors had unilaterally withheld.

The case's collapse began when Baldwin's defense team learned that the Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office had taken possession of live rounds earlier this year but did not disclose them to the defense. These rounds were handed in by Troy Teske, a retired police officer and a friend of the film's armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed's father. Special prosecutor Kari Morrissey and other law enforcement officials claimed the rounds were irrelevant, despite Judge Sommer's decision indicating the contrary.

Special prosecutor Morrisey testified herself in front of the court amid allegations that the evidence had been hidden intentionally. Despite her denials, Judge Sommer found the prosecution's conduct "highly prejudicial" to Alec Baldwin, ruling, "If this conduct does not rise to the level of bad faith, it certainly comes so near to bad faith to show signs of scorching."

The dismissal of the charges means the case cannot be refiled, allowing Baldwin, who maintained his innocence by claiming he neither pulled the trigger nor was responsible for the weapon's safety, to walk free. This development leaves several questions unanswered, such as the precise origin of the live rounds. Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, already serving an 18-month sentence for her role, plans to appeal her conviction using a similar defense strategy.

As emotions ran high in the courtroom, Baldwin was seen hugging his lawyers and his wife before exiting the courthouse without speaking to the media.