District Attorney continues support for special prosecutor handling cases against Hannah Gutierrez Reed
Gutierrez Reed currently serving an 18-month prison sentence for involuntary manslaughter conviction in Rust movie set shooting investigation
Hannah Gutierrez Reed's lawyers seek new trial or dismissal based on discovery violations by the State
Judge dismisses Alec Baldwin's involuntary manslaughter case in Rust movie set shooting investigation due to discovery violations
Technician testified a man delivered ammunition box to Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office after Gutierrez Reed's conviction, described as 'highly prejudicial' and 'needless delay'
In a recent turn of events, the cases against both Alec Baldwin and Hannah Gutierrez Reed in the Rust movie set shooting investigation have taken unexpected turns. On July 12, 2024, Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer dismissed Baldwin's involuntary manslaughter case due to discovery violations by the state regarding ammunition evidence. This dismissal came after Gutierrez Reed's lawyers filed a motion for a new trial or dismissal based on severe and ongoing discovery violations by the State.
Gutierrez Reed, who was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in March 2024, is currently serving an 18-month prison sentence. Her legal team argues that she has been scapegoated for the safety failures of film set management and other crew members.
The evidence that imploded Baldwin's trial came to light when a crime scene technician testified that a man had delivered a box of ammunition to the Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office in March right after Gutierrez Reed's conviction. This late disclosure was described as 'highly prejudicial to the defendant' and an injection of 'needless delay into the proceedings,' approaching 'bad faith.'
Despite this, District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies has expressed her continued support for special prosecutor Kari Morrissey in handling the cases against Hannah Gutierrez Reed.
Gutierrez Reed previously filed an appeal of her conviction in May. The dismissal of Baldwin's case and the ongoing investigation have raised questions about the handling of evidence and potential biases in the Rust movie set shooting investigation.
Hannah Gutierrez was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in March 2024 for her role in the fatal on-set shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.
Gutierrez appealed her conviction, but the filing came after a New Mexico judge dismissed Alec Baldwin’s case due to discovery violations by the state regarding ammunition evidence.
The state’s late disclosure of a supplemental report on the ammunition evidence was described as ‘highly prejudicial to the defendant’ and an injection of ‘needless delay into the proceedings’, approaching ‘bad faith’ by the judge.
Accuracy
Hannah Gutierrez was sentenced to 18 months in prison after her conviction.
The state violated Gutierrez Reed’s due process rights because it failed to disclose evidence.
Attorneys for Hannah Gutierrez Reed have filed a motion for a new trial or to have her case thrown out after the related case against actor Alec Baldwin was dismissed.
‗Gutierrez Reed’s defense attorney argued she has been scapegoated for the safety failures of film set management and other crew members.‗
The evidence that imploded Baldwin's trial came to light when a crime scene technician testified that a man had delivered a box of ammunition to the Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office in March right after Gutierrez Reed's conviction.
‗Gutierrez Reed previously filed an appeal of her conviction in May.‗
Accuracy
Hannah Gutierrez Reed's attorneys claim that both the prosecution and Gutierrez Reed's defense team were aware of the ammunition Teske had before he gave it to the sheriff's office in March. Her attorneys say an email from January showed it was 'important to compare the powder of the Teske rounds to the powder in the live rounds found on the Rust set.'
The evidence that imploded Baldwin’s trial came to light when a crime scene technician testified that a man had delivered a box of ammunition to the Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office in March right after Gutierrez Reed’s conviction. The man, Troy Teske, a retired police officer and friend of the armorer’s father, told investigators he obtained the ammunition from prop supplier Seth Kenney, and believed the ammunition could be associated with the ‘Rust’ incident.
Gutierrez Reed's defense team has also become aware of another possible 900 or so pages of material related to state’s witnesses that was disclosed to Baldwin’s attorneys shortly before his trial, but not to Gutierrez Reed's attorneys.
Deception
(30%)
The article contains selective reporting as the authors only report details that support their position of Hannah Gutierrez Reed's attorneys filing for a new trial or dismissal due to prosecutorial misconduct and discovery violations in Baldwin's case. They do not mention any evidence against Gutierrez Reed or her role in the fatal shooting incident. The authors also use emotional manipulation by implying that Gutierrez Reed has been scapegoated and unfairly convicted.
Her attorneys wrote an email to Morrissey in January saying it was 'important to compare the powder of the Teske rounds to the powder in the live rounds found on the Rust set.'
The attorneys filed a motion for a new trial or to have her case thrown out after the related case against actor Alec Baldwin was dismissed in dramatic fashion last week.
The state violated Gutierrez Reed’s due process rights because it failed to disclose evidence.
Fallacies
(85%)
The article contains several examples of potential prosecutorial misconduct and discovery violations. While the author's assertions are not themselves fallacious, they do report on potentially fallacious actions by others. Specifically, the article discusses allegations of withheld evidence and lying by a special prosecutor, which could be seen as an appeal to authority if taken at face value. Additionally, there is a potential example of inflammatory rhetoric in the description of the state's actions as 'egregious' and causing a 'compromised integrity of the entire judicial process.' However, these examples do not rise to the level of being fallacies themselves, and as such, cannot bring the score below 85.
Allegations of withheld evidence and lying by a special prosecutor:
Bias
(80%)
The authors use language that implies the prosecution in the Baldwin case was at fault for withholding evidence, but they do not provide any examples of bias towards a specific political or ideological position. However, they do make statements that could be perceived as critical of the prosecution and suggest that Gutierrez Reed's case should be reconsidered due to the handling of evidence in Baldwin's case. This could potentially show a bias against the legal system or law enforcement.
prosecutors did not properly turn over evidence to the defense.
The attorneys argue that her case should be thrown out or retried in part because of judge’s determination of withheld evidence in Baldwin’s case;
Hannah Gutierrez-Reed's lawyers are asking for her release from prison following the dismissal of Alec Baldwin’s case.
The court found that special prosecutor Kari T. Morrissey had suppressed evidence pertaining to live ammunition in Baldwin’s trial.
Accuracy
Jason Bowles filed a motion for a new trial or dismissal due to discovery violations by the State.
Baldwin’s lawyers asserted that the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office took possession of live rounds as evidence but did not record them or reveal their existence.
Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer dismissed Baldwin’s case with prejudice, meaning it cannot be filed again.
Reed was convicted of involuntary manslaughter and sentenced to 18 months in prison.
D.A. Mary Carmack-Altwies has expressed her continued support for special prosecutor Kari Morrissey in handling the cases against Hannah Gutierrez Reed despite the dismissal of Alec Baldwin's case.
Evidence of a cache of bullets was not shared with Baldwin’s defense team.
Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer found the prosecution 'highly culpable' for failing to share the information.
Accuracy
D.A. Mary Carmack-Altwies has expressed her continued support for special prosecutor Kari Morrissey in handling the cases against Hannah Gutierrez Reed.
The case against Alec Baldwin was dismissed due to withheld evidence.
Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer found the prosecution ‘highly culpable’ for failing to share the information.
Deception
(30%)
The article contains selective reporting as the author only reports details that support Kari Morrissey's position and fails to mention any potential exonerating evidence for Hannah Gutierrez Reed. For instance, the author mentions that Haag's supplemental reports were not provided to Gutierrez Reed's lawyer but does not mention that Haag has since reversed his stance on the toolmarks and now believes they were likely a result of FBI testing. This omission is deceptive as it creates an incomplete picture of the situation. Additionally, there are emotional manipulations in the article with phrases like 'tragic death' and 'unexplained toolmarks' that aim to elicit an emotional response from readers.
Haag has since reversed course, and now believes that the toolmarks likely were the result of the FBI testing.
The supplemental reports came to light in April and May, as Baldwin’s lawyers prepared for their trial.
Bowles sought to have Gutierrez Reed released from prison pending the outcome of a motion for a new trial.
Fallacies
(80%)
The author makes an appeal to authority by quoting the district attorney's statement in support of Kari Morrissey. This is not a fallacy as it is a valid use of an expert's opinion. However, the author also uses inflammatory rhetoric when describing Baldwin's lawyers as seeking 'bombshell exculpatory evidence' and Haag's reports as 'perjured testimony'. This language goes beyond reporting the facts and could be considered inflammatory. The score is reduced to reflect this.
Popular on Variety ‘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.’
Bowles sought to have Gutierrez Reed released from prison pending the outcome of a motion for a new trial. The state sought additional time to respond to the motion.
Haag has since reversed course, and now believes that the toolmarks likely were the result of the FBI testing. He has also been consistent that the toolmarks do not change his conclusion that the gun was functioning normally at the time of the shooting.
Ms. Gutierrez-Reed would have had a sufficient evidentiary basis from which to argue that unexplained alterations to the firearm caused it to fire without anyone pulling the trigger – an unforeseeable intervening cause that rendered her conduct not legally responsible for Ms. Hutchins’ tragic death.
Nor was she able to impeach Mr. Haag’s testimony with his prior inconsistent statements.
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