A federal judge dismisses much of Alec Baldwin’s civil rights lawsuit against officials connected to the criminal case over the 2021 “Rust” shooting. Baldwin alleges that prosecutors conducted an out-of-control prosecution that wrongly sought to convict him for the accidental death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.
The court rules that the Santa Fe officials are protected by prosecutorial immunity because their challenged actions fall within official prosecutorial duties. While granting dismissal, the judge addresses the seriousness of the allegations raised in Baldwin’s suit, characterizing the record as a “very disturbing picture” and noting that potentially “gross misconduct” in the broader criminal case is suggested by the claims.
Across the outlets, the main point of agreement is the immunity-based legal reasoning that shields the officials from Baldwin’s civil rights claims, while still acknowledging that the judge is troubled by aspects of the underlying conduct alleged in the case.
