‘Rust’ Armorer Wants Conviction Overturned After Alec Baldwin Case Collapses

As a film enthusiast who has closely followed the developments in the Hannah Gutierrez Reed and Alec Baldwin cases, I am deeply concerned about the apparent discovery abuses that have come to light. The repeated withholding of crucial evidence by the prosecution not only compromises the integrity of the judicial process but also risks sending innocent individuals to prison.

Hannah Gutierrez Reed, the “Rust” film armorer, is requesting a court to reverse her verdict, claiming she experienced similar mishandlings by the prosecution as in the recent Alec Baldwin trial.

I’ve been following the tragic case of Gutierrez Reed closely, having attended the court proceedings as a movie critic. However, it came as a shock to me when I recently learned that new evidence has come to light since his conviction in March for the manslaughter death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. According to his attorney, Jason Bowles, this substantial evidence was withheld before the trial. I can only imagine the impact such revelations could have had on the outcome of the case. The legal team is now requesting a review of the evidence in light of these new findings. Stay tuned for further updates.

Bowles made requests for the release of Gutierrez Reed from prison and the removal of special prosecutor Kari Morrissey from the case due to suspected misconduct. However, District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies has publicly declared her ongoing backing for Morrissey.

Last Friday, Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer decided that the state’s failure to disclose crucial evidence led to the dismissal of Baldwin’s manslaughter charges with finality.

“Ms. Gutierrez Reed’s case is no exception, according to Bowles in his motion, given the established record of significant discovery violations by the State. The deliberate concealment of essential evidence… undermines the fairness and trustworthiness of the entire legal proceedings.”

When the news broke out that an old cop had handed over a box of bullets to investigators on March 6th, little did we know that this revelation would bring down Baldwin’s case. The intriguing detail was that three of those bullets seemed to match the one that ended Hutchins’ life. Regrettably, Baldwin’s legal team remained in the dark about this critical information.

As a movie buff retelling this story, I’d say: “A month after Gutierrez Reed’s trial had ended, I came across an unexpected twist. Morrissey shared with me an undisclosed interview he’d recently obtained – it was from Seth Kenney, the crucial weapons supplier who testified in the case.”

Bowles contends that he had the opportunity to challenge Kenney’s credibility during the interview, based on his contradictory statements and complimentary remarks about Gutierrez Reed’s expertise. The court document references Kenney making praiseworthy comments regarding Gutierrez Reed’s experience and expressing conflicting views about potential sabotage on set.

I was surprised to learn from Bowles’ account that he didn’t get a report from firearms expert Lucien Haag, detailing unexplained toolmarks found on Baldwin’s gun. He described this missing information as explosive exculpatory evidence, which would have significantly altered the course of the trial and potentially led to a different outcome.

I discovered an intriguing development in the Baldwin case last May. During the pre-trial hearings, his legal team brought forth a significant finding. They unearthed evidence that the state had failed to disclose information potentially beneficial to Baldwin’s defense, an action that could have prejudiced the entire case. Invoking the Brady v. Maryland rule, they petitioned for the dismissal of the charges against him.

Marlowe Sommer denied that motion. The judge did not dispute that the report was suppressed or that it was favorable to the defense, but found that since it was ultimately turned over before trial, the defense could still use it, and thus Baldwin was not prejudiced.

In Gutierrez Reed’s situation, the same analysis wouldn’t be fitting because she was already behind bars at that time.

As a devoted cinema-goer following the Baldwin trial unfold on Friday, I found myself engrossed in the courtroom drama between Morrissey and Bowles. Morrissey, arguing for Gutierrez Reed’s defense, expressed his viewpoint that the report at hand was of little use to us. Why, you ask? Well, because her stance was that the gun functioned correctly!

After the trial, Bowles discovered that there are an extra 900 pages of relevant information about Haag and another state expert, Bryan Carpenter, that he had previously been unaware of.

Ms. Gutierrez-Reed was unfortunately subjected to multiple unsuccessful discoveries, according to Bowles, who found this unacceptable. The consequences for her have been severe: she is now serving an 18-month sentence in state prison due to a trial that, as we now understand, was tainted by the State’s misconduct and violated constitutional standards. This court should not condone such reprehensible actions from the State.

I’ve been closely following the legal proceedings against Baldwin, and I must admit that I’m impressed by his defense team’s diligence in bringing up concerns regarding the state’s handling of discovery material. In their pre-trial Brady motion, they argued that the state had been lackadaisical and neglectful in sharing crucial information in a timely manner. They presented evidence of numerous gigabytes of data that were allegedly disclosed months late. This included witness interviews, some of which reportedly held favorable information for Baldwin. It’s essential that all parties involved adhere to the rules and deadlines for sharing discovery material to ensure a fair trial.

Morrissey responded by stating that Baldwin’s defense team had made numerous demands for extra data from her, which in her opinion did not benefit their case much other than delaying the prosecution’s progress. She clarified that she hadn’t concealed any proof.

“To the contrary, the prosecution has disclosed more than is required,” she wrote.

2024-07-17 04:47

‘Rust’ Armorer Wants Conviction Overturned After Alec Baldwin Case Collapses

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