Rust armourer in new freedom bid after Baldwin ruling

The armourer for the movie Rust has launched a bid to have her case dismissed after Alec Baldwin's trial was thrown out.

Hannah Gutierrez-Reed was jailed for 18 months in April after being found guilty in charges connected to the 2021 fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of Rust.

But after the 66-year-old actor's involuntary manslaughter case was dismissed last week due to prosecutors failing to fully disclose evidence, her lawyer has made new moves for her to be freed.

Jason Bowles filed an expedited motion in the New Mexico courts on Tuesday to see Gutierrez-Reed's case dismissed, or for the 26-year-old to receive a new trial as soon as possible.

According to documents obtained by Deadline, citing "egregious prosecutorial misconduct", he wrote: "Justice demands that Hannah Gutierrez-Reed's conviction be overturned immediately, ensuring that the legal system does not perpetuate this core affront to our system that has been watched all over the world.

"The state withheld bombshell exculpatory evidence that it had a constitutional obligation to disclose and that would have resulted in a fundamentally different trial and likely a different outcome.

"In the alternative to an outright dismissal or at least a new trial, the Court should grant Ms Gutierrez-Reed's already filed motion for immediate release pending appeal."

The filing alleged there was more evidence "suppression" than previously known and demanded Kari Morrissey "be removed as special prosecutor for the misconduct that has been found, and the violations committed in Ms Gutierrez-Reed's case".

However, First Judicial District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies has backed Morrissey to stay in position.

"There is no better advocate than Kari Morrissey to see the Hannah Gutierrez-Reed cases through, and her appointment and oath are still in place," her office said.

Alec was left stunned on Friday when judge Mary Marlowe Sommer threw out the case after his legal team argued prosecutors had hidden evidence relating to the death of the cinematographer.