Prosecutor who quit in the Alec Baldwin ‘Rust’ case claims she was seeking dismissal

Erlinda Ocampo-Johnson, who has said that she was convinced of the manslaughter case brought against Alec Baldwin, said that she believed that the lack of evidence was a sign that the case was not a good one and should be dismissed.

Special prosecutor decided to leave the case Manslaughter trial of Alac Baldwi in Friday’s hearing stated that she resigned due to the fact that she believed that the case should have been removed by the government.

Justice Mary Marlowe Sommer would dismiss the case against Baldwin in the following day and she did so “with prejudice,” meaning that charges aren’t able to be reopened against the actor.

Baldwin 66 been charged with involuntary murder in the accident murder of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. The victim was killed in 2021, on the New Mexico set for the film “Rust” as Baldwin held an revolver designed to serve as an prop. “Rust” armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed was found guilty in March for manslaughter by involuntary means in the shooting, and sentenced to 18 months of prison.

Special prosecutor Erlinda Ocampo Johnson, who delivered an opening statement that accused Baldwin of being impulsive and reckless, admitted that she knew her prosecution’s argument was in danger Friday after she found out that certain rounds had not been given to defense.

“It was clear that it was something that should have been turned over,” Ocampo Johnson said to NBC News Friday night.

Ocampo Johnson resigned on Friday and left the courtroom without a hearing to be concluded on whether the evidentiary matter meant Baldwin’s case was not removed, just as the attorneys had argued.

Her special prosecutor colleague, Kari Morrissey, said in the courtroom that Ocampo Johnson quit in part due to the fact that she “didn’t agree with the decision to have a public hearing” However, Ocampo Johnson insisted that she did not believe an open hearing was needed to be held in the first place.

“I believed that the right decision would have been a dismissal,” Ocampo Johnson told.

When asked if there was any opposition to this recommendation, Ocampo-Johnson said: “I wouldn’t say ‘push-back,’ it was ‘go forward with the case.'”

Baldwin’s lawyers asked that the court dismiss their case when it was discovered there was Troy Teske, a former police officer who was also a friend of the stepfather of Gutierrez-Reed, had delivered Colt .45-caliber rounds of ammunition to Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office on the 6th of March (the day that Gutierrez-Reed was convicted).

Defense attorneys claimed the defense attorneys should’ve been informed concerning the rounds.

Morrissey claimed that the incriminating ammunition was not connected to the case or kept from Baldwin’s attorneys.

“There is no reason to believe that the evidence that we discussed in court today was related to the set of ‘Rust,'” Morrissey stated when that the trial was dismissed. She stated that she did not agree with the judge’s decision, but she backed the ruling.

Morrissey has not yet responded to requests for further information regarding the matter on Friday.

Ocampo Johnson stated she was convinced in the criminal case brought against Baldwin and was prepared to provide evidence showing that the days prior to when Hutchins was killed, a video proved that the gun “was not handled the way it should have been.”

Baldwin ought to have been aware of the guidelines of the industry that include not firing guns at anyone and treating them as if in the hands of a firearm, Ocampo Johnson told.

“I believed in the case,” she stated. “Because I believe that it was one woman who was killed. There was some reckless conduct on the stage.”

However, she added that it’s the responsibility of defense attorneys and not the prosecutors to determine if the evidence they present could be relevant for their case or not.

Ocampo Johnson stated that she doesn’t believe the evidence was deliberately withheld.

“I do not think that was a deliberate act. I’m not convinced of this,” she said. “I think it was just something that — it wasn’t turned over, and it should have been.”

Following it was decided that the Baldwin case was dismissed the attorney for Gutierrez-Reed Jason Bowles said that “we will be moving for her immediate release.”

Ocampo Johnson wasn’t involved in this prosecution. She could not comment on how Baldwin’s trial could impact the defense lawyers of Gutierrez-Reed However, she did doubt whether the ammunition in question could help her overturn her conviction.

“I don’t think it should impact her case, but it certainly should have been turned over in this case,” Ocampo Johnson stated.

Sumiko Moots

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Gisele Lamarre

contributed

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