Alec Baldwin’s lawyers have issued a scathing critique of the prosecutors who want to bring the actor to trial on a felony involuntary-manslaughter charge for the fatal Rust set shooting. Baldwin, who pleaded not guilty, is hoping to dismiss the case, which could lead to up to 18 months in prison if he is convicted. In a new court filing obtained by Variety and People, Baldwin’s lawyers alleged a “stunning abuse of prosecutorial power†tied to a misdemeanor plea offer made to him last October. The deal included no jail time, six months of unsupervised probation, a $550 fine, 24 hours of community service, and a firearms safety class — but it was rescinded before Baldwin accepted it.
Special prosecutor Kari T. Morrissey previously said she decided to proceed with a felony charge after learning that Baldwin had commissioned a documentary about the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and was trying to persuade witnesses to participate. Baldwin’s attorneys are arguing that is a “completely inappropriate†reason to indict someone, and further asserting that the actor “has no control, of any kind†over either of two documentaries being made about the tragedy. His team suggests that Morrissey got the information from an “inaccurate†article in the Daily Mail. Elsewhere in the filing, the defense accuses Morrissey of giving “prejudicial†instructions to the grand jury that ended up indicting Baldwin. According to Baldwin’s team, Morrissey is “using the justice system to ‘humble’ an ‘arrogant’ celebrity that she dislikes.â€
Earlier this month, prosecutors responded to Baldwin’s motion to dismiss, calling claims from his lawyers “patently false.†In their filing, Baldwin’s lawyers describe aspects of the prosecutors’ response as “appalling.†As for the motion to dismiss, the judge can now either schedule a hearing or make a decision based on the filings from both sides. If the case is not dismissed, Baldwin’s trial is set to start in July.