Hannah Gutierrez, the armourer on the set of the movie “Rust,” has filed an expedited motion for a new trial or dismissal of her involuntary manslaughter conviction following the recent dismissal of Alec Baldwin’s case, per abcnews.go.com.
Gutierrez was found guilty in March of involuntary manslaughter in the 2021 shooting death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the “Rust” set. She was sentenced to 18 months in prison a month later.
However, Gutierrez’s lawyers are now arguing that her conviction should be overturned due to “severe and ongoing discovery violations by the state.” This comes after a New Mexico judge last week dismissed the case against Baldwin, the film’s star, citing the prosecution’s failure to disclose crucial evidence.
In the motion filed on Tuesday, Gutierrez’s legal team, led by attorney Jason Bowles, emphasises that the revelations from Baldwin’s trial have “exposed extreme misconduct” and undermine the fairness of the proceedings against their client. They argue that key evidence, including an interview and a report by a state firearms expert, was intentionally withheld from the defence, significantly impacting their ability to mount an effective case.
The defence is now urging the court to grant Gutierrez a new trial or dismiss the charges altogether, drawing parallels to the judge’s decision in the Baldwin case. The motion also calls for the removal of the special prosecutor, Kari Morrissey, due to the alleged misconduct.
- Featured image: Hannah Gutierrez/Luis Sánchez Saturno/Santa Fe New Mexican via AP, Pool, FILE
