Will the ‘Rust’ Armorer Walk, Too?

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As a follower of the Hannah Gutierrez-Reed case, I am deeply concerned about the recent developments and the apparent mishandling of evidence in the trial that led to her conviction for her role in the tragic shooting death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of “Rust.”

As a gamer, I’d put it this way: After the recent ballistics evidence and shocking discovery of prosecutorial misconduct during Alec Baldwin’s trial, I, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, have asked for a do-over or even a dismissal of my case in Rust.

The motion argues that Hannah Gutierrez-Reed’s conviction should be reversed right away to prevent our justice system from continuing this egregious violation of fairness, an issue that has garnered international attention.

Gutierrez-Reed is now doing an 18-month prison term following the Santa Fe jury’s verdict of involuntary manslaughter against her on March 6, 2021, in the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.

In the hearing held on July 12, a judge in New Mexico dismissed the involuntary manslaughter case against Alec Baldwin. This decision came after Baldwin’s lawyers argued that crucial evidence had been concealed from them by the prosecution team led by Kari Morrissey. The undisclosed evidence included a few bullets that were handed over to the Santa Fe sheriffs as early as March but were not made available to Baldwin.

The judges ruled on July 12 that they had to dismiss Mr. Baldwin’s case permanently due to the importance of upholding the judicial system’s honesty. Shouldn’t the same apply to Ms. Gutierrez-Reed’s case?

Gutierrez-Reed’s attorneys also asked that Morrissey be removed as special prosecutor.

After it was discovered that retired police officer Troy Teske had handed over ammunition linked to the shooting death of Hutchins to the Santa Fe sheriff’s department right after Gutierrez- Reed’s conviction in March, Baldwin’s case was dismissed. The sheriff’s department kept this ammunition a secret from Baldwin and didn’t show it during the defense’s evidence viewing on April 16, as stated by his lawyers.

According to Gutierrez-Reed’s lawyers, they had knowledge of the bullets Teske handed over in March. They anticipated that the sheriff’s department would examine and evaluate these bullets while Gutierrez-Reed continued her appeal process. However, the state placed them in a different case file and concealed their existence. Following the judge’s dismissal of Baldwin’s case, Morrissey addressed the media outside the courthouse in Santa Fe. “I acknowledge the court’s ruling,” the prosecutor stated, “Yet, there is no proof whatsoever linking any of that ammunition to the occurrence involving Ms. Hutchins.”

According to Gutierrez-Reed’s lawyers, the ammo Teske provided is not the entirety of what the prosecution has kept from them. They point to interviews with crucial witnesses such as Seth Kenney, Rust’s prop ammunition supplier, and the state’s two firearms experts, Lucien C. Haag and Michael G. Haag, that have yet to be handed over by the prosecution.

As a gamer, I can’t help but feel disappointed and frustrated when I repeatedly fail to discover something new or accomplish a task. For Ms. Gutierrez- Reed, these repeated failures have hit her hard, leaving a profoundly negative impact.

The most recent development in the ongoing legal proceedings related to the “Rust” incident is Gutierrez- Reed’s motion. Civil lawsuits against Alec Baldwin and other producers of the indie western film continue to progress.

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2024-07-17 02:25