The involuntary manslaughter case against Alec Baldwin related to the tragic 2021 shooting on the "Rust" film set has reached its conclusion. The Santa Fe District Attorney's Office confirmed that special prosecutor Kari Morrissey withdrew the state's appeal, solidifying Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer's earlier dismissal of the charges.

The dismissal stemmed from allegations of withheld evidence by the prosecution, a point of contention throughout the trial. Judge Sommer's July ruling cited the prosecution's actions as bordering on "bad faith" and irreparably prejudicial to the defense. Baldwin's legal team, Alex Spiro and Luke Nikas, expressed vindication, emphasizing that while the shooting was a devastating event, Baldwin did not commit a crime.

The core of the defense's argument revolved around the source of the live ammunition. They contended that prop distributor Seth Kenney was the source and that the prosecution failed to disclose key evidence supporting this claim. The sudden resignation of co-counsel Erlinda Ocampo Johnson further complicated the proceedings, leading to an impromptu hearing where Morrissey herself testified. She maintained that the disputed evidence, originating from ex-Arizona police officer Troy Teske, was irrelevant as the ammunition in question remained in Arizona and did not match the live rounds found on the "Rust" set.

The case also involved armorer Hannah Gutierrez Reed, who was found responsible for loading the live round into the revolver Baldwin fired. This tragic incident resulted in the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and the injury of director Joel Souza.