Is Alec Baldwin’s ‘Rust’ case finally over? Like, for good?

Nearly half a year after a judge dismissed Baldwin‘s involuntary manslaughter case, it has finally been closed.

The charges related to a horrifying accident in which the 30 Rock star shot cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of Rust. Baldwin was starring in the film and also had a role as co-producer.

On Monday, the district attorney’s office in Santa Fe dropped a press release confirming special prosecutor Kari Morrissey would no longer appeal the case’s dismissal. Baldwin’s legal team was quick to respond, releasing a statement in of their client. As per THR, attorneys Luke Nikas and Alex Spiro said:

“Today’s decision to dismiss the appeal is the final vindication of what Alec Baldwin and his attorneys have said from the beginning — this was an unspeakable tragedy but Alec Baldwin committed no crime…The rule of law remains intact in New Mexico.”

We’ve been down this road before, believing this whole ordeal was finally over. So, is this new development any different? Is Alec Baldwin’s Rust case really over?

Was Alec Baldwin responsible for what happened on the set of Rust?

The trial’s inciting incident occurred on the set of Rust, a western starring and produced by Baldwin. The actor accidentally fired a live round from a prop gun, hitting Hutchins and leading to her death. The shot also injured film director Joel Souza.

The film’s armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed was jailed for involuntary manslaughter, the same charge levied against Baldwin.

While there is no doubt the shooting was an accident, Baldwin still had to face some serious questions about his on-set behavior. As any working actor will confirm, guns are never to be pointed at anybody on set, even if they are props. This oversight is even worse for Baldwin, because as a co-producer he had an even larger duty of care towards the film cast and crew.

Is Alec Baldwin’s Rust case finally over?

In short, yes, Alec Baldwin’s Rust case is finally over. The case was dismissed with prejudice on July 12 of this year, which means that he cannot be tried again for the crime. Now that special prosecutor Morrissey has dropped the appeal, there will be no action taken against the actor. However, many on social media are still arguing that Baldwin must take a portion of the responsibility for the killing.

The reason the case was dropped by the judge was because of the prosecutors’ bizarre behavior. Baldwin’s defense pointed out that the ammo used in the accident was withheld from them, leading Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer to state:

“The late discovery of this evidence has impacted the fundamental fairness of the proceedings. There is no way for the court to right this wrong. The sanction of dismissal is the only warranted remedy.”

She also lambasted Morrissey for failing to fulfill her obligations to Baldwin’s team in discovery and pointed out she had given “inconsistent” testimony regarding the supposedly suppressed evidence. Rust had its world premiere on November 20 of this year.