Alec Baldwin's malicious prosecution, defamation civil suit vs. prosecutors and investigators in 'Rust' shooting case dismissed

Alec Baldwin's civil lawsuit against prosecutors and investigators involved in the Rust set fatal shooting case has been dismissed.

PEOPLE Magazine reported that the lawsuit was dropped as no "significant action" had been taken in 180 days or more since it was first submitted. Baldwin filed the lawsuit on Jan. 9.

Judge Case Fitch dismissed it without prejudice, meaning further action, like refiling the case, may be done later on.

Fitch said Baldwin may move for reinstatement within 30 days.

Baldwin filed a civil suit six months after his involuntary manslaughter charge was dropped, per the Associated Press. (He was indicted in January 2024 over the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins in 2021, but was dropped in July.)

Baldwin accused prosecutors and investigators of "malicious abuse of process, intentional spoliation of evidence, defamation, and violation of the New Mexico Civil Rights Act" as they pursued the case against him, according to PEOPLE.

Defendants named in his lawsuit included special prosecutor Kari Morrissey and Santa Fe District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies, plus three investigators from the Santa Fe County sheriff’s office and the county board of commissioners.

Baldwin also claimed they targeted him for professional or political gain.

He's seeking general and/or compensatory damages, with the exact amount to be determined during the trial. He also pursued punitive damages and reimbursement for attorneys' fees.

Baldwin was holding a prop gun on the Rust set when it discharged, killing Hutchins and injuring director Joel Souza. He insisted that he didn’t pull the trigger and knew the gun accidentally had live ammunition.

Dave Halls, the safety coordinator and assistant director who handed Baldwin the loaded gun, agreed to a plea deal with prosecutors and was sentenced to six months' probation.

Armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, meanwhile, was convicted of manslaughter in March 2024. She's sentenced to 18 months in prison and was released on parole last May.

Baldwin was slated for trial in July that year, but the court tossed his case after revelations that ammunition was brought into the Santa Fe County sheriff’s office in March by a man who said it could be related to Hutchins’ killing.

Prosecutors said they deemed the ammo unrelated and unimportant, while Baldwin’s lawyers said investigators “buried” the evidence.

Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer said bullets potentially linked to the death of Hutchins could have been favorable to Baldwin's case, but police and prosecutors didn't share the information with his lawyers.