This case stemmed from the tragic 2021 on-set shooting that killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins during the filming of Rust, when a prop firearm handled by Alec Baldwin discharged a live round. Prosecutors alleged that Baldwin, both the lead actor and a producer, was negligent and contributed to systemic safety failures on set. During the trial in Santa Fe, New Mexico, the defense vigorously contested those claims, arguing that Baldwin had no reason to believe the weapon contained live ammunition and that responsibility for safety rested elsewhere. The proceedings ended on the first day of trial when Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer dismissed all charges with prejudice after finding that the prosecution had willfully withheld critical evidence from the defense.
DOAR was retained to support the defense team with strategic consulting, trial graphics, and evidence presentation, helping ensure that the defense’s complex factual and procedural arguments were presented with clarity and precision throughout one of the most closely watched trials in recent years.
