Special prosecutors appointed in Baldwin set shooting case

SANTA FE, NM (AP) — The Santa Fe district attorney has named two veteran New Mexico attorneys to serve as new special prosecutors against Alec Baldwin and a weapons supervisor in the fatal shooting of a cinematographer during a 2021 film rehearsal. has been appointed.

Her spokeswoman Heather Brewer said in a statement Wednesday that the appointments of Kari Morrissey and Jason Lewis to the positions will allow District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altweiss to focus on New Mexico’s “broader public safety needs.”

The original special prosecutor, Andrea Reeb, had earlier resigned in the wake of missteps in filing the initial charges against Baldwin and objections related to Reeb’s role as a state legislator.

Carmack-Altwies was subsequently preparing to appoint a new special prosecutor and guide the complex case as co-counsel.

But Judge Mary Marlow Sommer said Monday that the district attorney should either lead the case herself or turn it over entirely to another prosecutor.

Baldwin and movie armourer Hannah Gutierrez-Reid have pleaded not guilty to involuntary manslaughter charges in the shooting death of cinematographer Halina Hutchins. The charges carry a maximum sentence of 18 months in prison and a fine.

Hutchins died shortly after being injured on October 21, 2021, during rehearsals for the western film “Rust” on a ranch on the outskirts of Santa Fe. Baldwin was pointing a pistol at Hutchins when the gun went off, killing him and injuring director Joel Souza.

A defense attorney for Gutierrez-Reid objected to earlier plans for Carmack-Altweiss to serve as co-counsel, arguing that it would be illegal under New Mexico law and for a 25-year-old with limited financial resources. year would be fundamentally unfair to the defendant.

Brewer said the appointment of Morris and Lewis, with their “extensive experience and trial expertise, will allow the state to bring justice to Halina Hutchins and ensure that everyone in New Mexico is held accountable under the law.”

A week-long preliminary hearing in May will decide whether the evidence against Baldwin and Gutierrez-Reid is sufficient to proceed to trial.