In the latest twist in the ongoing legal saga, a New Mexico district attorney has overseen the “Jung” shooting criminal prosecutions of Alec Baldwin and armourer Hannah Gutierrez Reed.
On Wednesday, First Judicial District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altweiss announced she had assigned prosecution of the high-profile case to two veteran New Mexico attorneys, Kari Morrissey and Jason Lewis.
The pair will become special prosecutors in the “Rust” case, Carmack-Altwidge’s office announced.
Albuquerque-based attorneys for Gutierrez Reed challenged Carmack-Altwiz’s request to be allowed to appoint a special prosecutor and asked Friday for the embattled prosecutor to come up with a plan after being involved in the high-profile case. Faced a deadline.
At a hearing Monday, Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer indicated she planned to deny Carmack-Altives’ request.
Carmack-Altweiss became the second ranking prosecutor to resign from the case that began after Baldwin accidentally shot cinematographer Halina Hutchins on the set of “Rust,” which was filming near Santa Fe, NM.
The previous special prosecutor, Andrea Reib, resigned this month amid controversy over her dual role as prosecutor and member of the New Mexico Legislature. Baldwin’s lawyers argued that the Republican lawmaker’s involvement in the case was politically motivated. Baldwin, who denigrated former President Trump on NBC’s “Saturday Night Live,” is vilified in some conservative circles.
“My responsibility to the people of the First Judicial District is greater than any one case, which is why I have decided to appoint a special prosecutor to the ‘Jung’ case,” Carmack-Altweiss said in a statement. “Kari Morrissey and Jason Lewis will pursue justice in the death of Halina Hutchins on behalf of the people of the First Judicial District.”
In late January, Santa Fe prosecutors charged Baldwin and Gutierrez Reed with the October 2021 shooting death of Hutchins. Both Baldwin and Gutierrez Reed have pleaded not guilty.
Reeb’s resignation was a victory for Baldwin and Gutierrez Reed. This left a huge gap in the prosecution team just weeks before May’s crucial hearing. Carmack-Altwies and Reeb have both participated in the case for months and conducted critical interviews to strengthen the trial’s case.
This is a developing story.