Judge Dismisses Most of Alec Baldwin's 'Rust' Lawsuit Against Prosecutors

A federal judge on Wednesday threw out much of Alec Baldwin's civil rights lawsuit against the prosecutors in the "Rust" case, ruling that they are entitled to absolute prosecutorial immunity.

Judge Kea Riggs of the federal bench delivered the ruling, finding that Kari Morrissey and the other prosecutors involved in the case are shielded from liability for their prosecutorial conduct — even though the misconduct allegations before the court were serious.

The allegations paint a "very disturbing picture," Riggs acknowledged in her ruling. But she held that the doctrine of absolute prosecutorial immunity applies regardless.

"Sometimes, it is better to leave unredressed the wrongs done by an allegedly dishonest prosecutor than to subject those who try to do their duty to the constant dread of retaliation," Riggs wrote. "This is one of those times. The doctrine of absolute prosecutorial immunity is worthwhile only if it applies to hard cases, occasionally shielding acts of gross misconduct."

Baldwin filed the suit last year. He alleged he was the victim of an out-of-control prosecution that wrongly sought to convict him for the accidental shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of "Rust" in 2021.

His involuntary manslaughter trial collapsed in July 2024, when the presiding judge dismissed the charge after learning that Morrissey had withheld evidence from the defense. Baldwin alleged that dismissal was only one instance in a broader pattern of prosecutorial abuse. His suit cited presenting false information to the grand jury, failing to disclose two firearms reports, and filing an unlawful gun enhancement.

The named prosecutorial defendants included Morrissey, the appointed special prosecutor who led the trial; Mary Carmack-Altwies, the elected district attorney in Santa Fe; and Andrea Reeb, who was originally appointed as special prosecutor before withdrawing from the case.

The lawsuit has already survived one dismissal. A state judge threw it out last year after a lengthy period of inactivity. Baldwin's legal team refiled it, and the state then removed the case to federal court, where prosecutors filed a series of motions to dismiss on immunity grounds.

Wednesday's ruling did not end the case entirely. While prosecutors are generally absolved from civil liability for their courtroom conduct, they can be sued for misconduct when acting in the role of investigators. The state did not seek dismissal of the allegations concerning Morrissey's statements to the media, nor her agreement to log a cache of bullets under a separate case number — a move that functionally hid them from the defense.

"Accordingly, any claims based on these allegations survive this stage of litigation," Riggs wrote.

Baldwin's lawyers have previously noted that Morrissey would remain a defendant in the case even if the motions to dismiss had been granted in full.

Separate claims against Santa Fe County and several sheriff's investigators, brought under New Mexico and federal civil rights law, remain pending. The county has filed its own motions to dismiss those claims, and the judge has yet to rule on them — leaving the surviving portions of Baldwin's suit, and Morrissey's continued role as a defendant, to play out in the coming months.