Dismissing the Alec Baldwin case was deserved, say lawyers | Banfield

The judge dismissing Alec Baldwin’s involuntary manslaughter case with prejudice is a harsh punishment, but deserved in this case, according to Dave Aronberg, the state attorney for Palm Beach County, Florida. Trial attorney Donte Mills also joins “Banfield” to say it’s a defense attorney’s job to defend the system - to make sure the prosecutor follows the rules. Both lawyers discussed the case on NewsNation’s “Banfield.”
#alecbaldwin #davearonberg #dontemills
Ashleigh Banfield is the definitive authority on the nation’s biggest true crime stories. A veteran award-winning journalist, Ashleigh brings a sharp focus to the crime stories gripping America, distilling facts and analyzing context in a way which captures viewers’ interests and imaginations. No one knows the prosecution and the defendants’ cases better than BANFIELD, all the while keeping the victim at the heart of every story we tell - just another reason NewsNation is truly News for All America.
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[@pearlbubbles6885]

They had 3 years to prepare for the trial, what a sh@t show. Unbelievable

[@PollyAlice2000]

We cannot have the prosecutor and the police investigators colluding to hide any evidence. The judge followed the law, and I applaud her for being angry at this malfeasance.

[@georgewashington3555]

Defense attorneys appeared to have learned about the ammunition Teske turned over from body camera footage that captured Teske walking into the sheriff's office and telling Poppell that he had critical evidence and offered to give a statement.

[@Nighthawk-8050]

Sounds to me this prosecutor cares more about being famous than doing her job.

[@tf-lv4zu]

Well now she is infamous lol

[@J.Paul2023]

He was innocent on top of that! Please look up "Satellite terrorism interview Dr John Hall", "Dr Leuren Moret Wireless weapons used on innocent people" and "Ex CIA Dr Robert Duncan, directed energy weapons". I believe he was under hypno when the gun went off!

[@georgewashington3555]

Defense attorneys appeared to have learned about the ammunition Teske turned over from body camera footage that captured Teske walking into the sheriff's office and telling Poppell that he had critical evidence and offered to give a statement.

[@brendacurrie358]

Defense did an exceptional job as did the Judge. special prosecutor did the right thing by quitting !!! todays proceedings were unprecedented !!!

[@kinorspielmann4649]

Morrissey is a poor advocate. Long-winded. Disjointed questioning. Disorganised. Stressed out. Rambling. Unfocused. And now professionally unethical. This outcome is no surprise.

[@lmkays]

Never understood why Alec Baldwin was being tried in the first place. The armoror was negligent and she’s in jail.

[@Reno_Slim]

This kind of misconduct is not uncommon but because it usually occurs in cases that are not high profile and the prosecutorial malfeasance isn't discovered or called out, the prosecution very often gets away with it.

[@kiba4687]

That's so scary but true

[@yeahdefinitely6607]

This unraveled so quickly, Morrissey was like a deer in headlights

[@georgewashington3555]

Corrupt and got caught.

[@user-pv9wp6vi5g]

The prop guy who supplied the blank rounds should be charged also. It was his duty to inspect rounds that were returned before releasing them to another movie set

[@glennet9613]

I saw him give evidence and it was obvious what had happened - I couldn’t understand why her defense attorney didn’t follow it up. His stockroom was a shambles, he had no inventory control, he didn’t bill the client for weeks and then by memory and photos on his iphone. I was sure at the time that he had accidentally put live rounds returned from a live firing exercise in with the dummies.

[@silmarian]

I think he was given immunity to testify.

[@moniquejohnson59]

I love how the host pushed back when his first guest tried to paint a different picture of the person who came forward with the evidence.

[@tinamartina1801]

Corruption. Prosecution was corrupt.

[@metal--babble346]

It's baaad. What a shocker

[@georgewashington3555]

If Judge Bev in Karen read case had An Ounce of integrity for justice as Judge Mary marlowe Summer in Alec Baldwin case has , things would be very different. Judge Summer is amazing.

[@voices_vary]

Frankly, I think Morrissey, Poppell, and Hancock will experience some serious challenges in their professional futures.

[@georgewashington3555]

Judge Mary Marlowe Summer is a hero.. What a great judge. she is not going to put up with State hiding evidence. >> Agreeing with the defense that the state did not disclose possibly consequential evidence, the judge said, "The sanction of dismissal is the only warranted remedy."

[@debereisinger3057]

Alec's lawyer did EXACTLY what he was paid to do!! He did his job and he did it very well!! Bravo, sir! We need more attorneys like you!

[@Nicklan1961]

He did his job except for the part where he was supposed to check the weapon he had in his hand he never did that if he had have done that none of this would have happened and that woman would still be alive.

[@yvettethomas5533]

@@Nicklan1961 UMMMM, @debereisinger3057 was referring to the Defense Attorney doing HIS job, not Alec!!! Dude, pay attention before you comment!!

[@Nicklan1961]

@@yvettethomas5533 I'm talking about the defendant he got away with manslaughter the fix was in

[@yvettethomas5533]

@@Nicklan1961 I know what you were "talking" about , you litterally responded to someone that said the Defense Attorney did his job. Your response was about Alec, not about the Attorney doing his job!!

[@walterbo7687]

​@@Nicklan1961follow the discourse and don't write the usual whataboutism out of context. Otherwise wrote somewhere else and not under THAT comment.

[@Charlie-lu1jn]

You guys are both wrong about the good samaritan. He was supposed to be a witness in hannah's trial and came to the courthouse with the ammo but her lawyers decided not to use his testimony in the case. He then went to the police station to turn it in. He was a former cop and a judge, in addition to being friends with Hannah's stepfather and Seth Kenny.

[@Mike-01234]

Wouldn't you think this man would speak to Hannah's attorney about it? Seems to me this man and Hannah's step father Thall reed cooked up this idea to try and help raise some doubt with respect to the Seth Kenny sabotage idea. Would be easy to load up some rounds during the trial make them look like what they found on the set. The fact that suddenly this all pops up during this trial.

[@EricLing64]

@@Mike-01234 Would be pointless. The FBI was looking at the rounds, they would have wanted to find the source if they were made aware of it all I think, or they would have tested it if they were sent, not entirely sure how all that works, it's not a federal case so I think they just ask the FBI to do the testing for them in this case. So for them to try to conspire to create doubt like that would be mostly useless. Would be good if the FBI still got a look at them to find out if they were from the same batch, that could lend credibility to their theory, but not sure how else you can prove it short of a confession of sorts, did he text someone that he wanted to mess with her or the set?

[@douglasbockman2772]

@Charlie-lu1jn no Charles, the lax atmosphere about gun safety was controlled by the producers. Don't sugarcoat the poison pill. Alec didn't attend the gun safety classes on set. The armored was an inexperienced employee with drug problems(who signs the checks). Halyna is dead due to reckless negligence. The screen actors guild does not write laws about gun safety. The scene could have been rehearsed without a loaded weapon. The person in control of the weapon did not check to see if it was loaded and ready to fire. The alec in charge of the weapon denied pulling the trigger. The FBI damaged crucial evidence. The malfeasance of the judge to predetermine the outcome of the trial due to some proclamation of exculpatory magical evidence that Hannah was denied. Due process? If you say so.

[@Charlie-lu1jn]

@@douglasbockman2772 My name is not Charles, I am female. I'm not disputing what you are saying, but the police and prosecutor withheld evidence and didn't follow a lead that could have explained how live rounds got on set. Seth Kenny and the prop master were trying to get Hannah fired and there was a possibility it was planted because the evidence conceled contained dummy rounds from another movie Seth Kenny worked on AND also used live rounds to train actors. That is literally the only EVIIDENCE that gives a possible explanation on how it got on the Rust set. There's no doubt Hahnnah and the AD (that took a plea deal) were responsible for not checking the gun. What the prosecution did was burry a lead and allow a suspect that that ammo came from to contaiminate the investigation.

[@Charlie-lu1jn]

@@Mike-01234 He was scheduled to testify which was why he was at the courthouse on the day of Hannah's trial. He was never called to the stand. I don't know the reason why. The prosecution hid this evidence a year before Alec Baldwin's trial. And the guy that turned in the ammo was also friends with Seth Kenny. These particular rounds were the same antiqued Starline bullets with silver tips that Seth Kenny had on another set and as the judge stated when she dismissed the case, "they were a match". Seth Kenny and the prop master Sarah were trying to get Hannah fired and Sarah had disposed of evidence on the prop truck before the police got there which was revealed in Hannah's trial. This evidence that was withheld connected Seth Kenny to a box of live ammo mixed with dummy rounds he used on another set and then supplied to Rust.

[@onemancinema4642]

Her career is over.

[@selamawikahsai5664]

I heard people saying that the led persecutor is an exprienced lawyer,my gosh this woman doesn't seem to have any exprience at all.Not only that she seem to lack common sense as well ,because if she has a common sense,why would she lie in stand about the reason why her co-counsel has resigned? doesn't she know she will come and state the reason why she has resigned as she did?

[@yourlifeisagreatstory]

An experienced liar. Wonder what else she’s done in the last past to win cases?

[@selamawikahsai5664]

@@yourlifeisagreatstory You absolutely right and I hate the fact prosecutors have an absolute immunity.This egocentric woman was hidding the evidence inorder to make a name for herself by prosecuting a celebrate and go to different media outlets afterwards to get the nations attention and make a fame out it as a result.

[@katieh193]

Does this mean that Kari Morrissey will likely face as bar complaint?

[@yvettethomas5533]

It is possible

[@Will-nl6il]

Prosecutors Cannot put their Thumb on the Scale of Justice. Oath violation as well.

[@garotadagavea]

Oh, the main prosecutor was a DEFENSE attorney by trade?!?! Shoot, that was totally deliberate. She damn well KNEW that evidence was exculpatory.

[@stephaniemoore189]

the first lawyer interviewed was going to LIE, so as to sensationalize his story. Thank God you caught him in his lie and correct him on Camera!!! Shame on him. Get new friends!!!

[@jaybae5850]

I was crying for Hannah 😭🙏

[@yellyman5483]

Poor you. I hope you`re ok... How are you feeling sweetheart? Still crying?

[@jaybae5850]

@@yellyman5483 calm down, yellow man. This doesn't affect your country. I know things are different from your PRC, but guns are serious in the US.

[@jaybae5850]

@@yellyman5483 calm down, yellowman. I know things are different in your country 🇨🇳, but guns are serious subject here in the US.

[@ryant3600]

@@jaybae5850 who's Hannah?

[@selmeb1291]

Hannah’s attorney knew about this, he was a defence witness but Bowles (Hannah’s attorney) chose not to call him to the stand.

[@southbronxny5727]

So no punishment for the shooting and killing?

[@nikvolt8298]

Hubris Hubris! Everyday is like Sunday for her now!

[@luzcobb6451]

👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼great !!!

[@plasticity1000]

The prosecutor taking the stand basically proves the punishment. Unheard of. She will never work again as an attorney,

[@B_Bodziak]

She hasn't lost her license

[@grantnoroyan4083]

LOL

[@EricLing64]

She's a defense attorney, brought in as a special prosecutor because the locals were... I guess having problems? Maybe we should have seen this coming.

[@metal--babble346]

That crime scene tech lied & lied & lied. Then brought matching live bullets to the judge. This trial got WEIRD

[@upandabove567]

also a good judge

[@grantnoroyan4083]

LOL she was the worst judge and beyond annoying and 1000 percent partial

[@georgewashington3555]

If Judge Bev in Karen read case had An Ounce of integrity for justice as Judge Mary marlowe Summer in Alec Baldwin case has , things would be very different. Judge Summer is amazing.

[@marymary20]

Baldwin should never have been charged in the first place.

[@kgraham5820]

I wonder if the family of the woman will file a civil lawsuit against AB. I’m surprised they haven’t already. 😮

[@rogerthat4545]

I don't think they have much of a case against him, actors art responsible for the props. but the professional who was hired to be responsible for them is another story

[@maureendwyer2723]

Thank ❤️ God! The Judge Absolutely Made The Right Decision By Granting “A Dismissal With Prejudice” The State Withheld Exculpatory Evidence….

[@Pe6ek]

Even this prosecutor is lying!

[@mundosam]

Bonfire of the Vanities

[@5400bowen]

The friend with the bullets did make contact with the DA herself and she agreed to take the evidence and then just never did.

[@kexith]

You'd need to get an explanation why this evidence was so damning and dangerous that the prosecution had to hide it and lie. It's not, it sounds like a mistake from the police department, distracted while dealing with Hannah's trial. I don't see how the judge proved prejudice, where is evidence it was intentional Vs accident

[@almac9203]

It wasn't a mistake but intentional misconduct. The judge asks Detective Hancock if the prosecutor Kari Morrissey was involved in the decision to file the additional new evidence in a separate file away from the Rust case file and she said yes. That is your smoking gun. That testimony is proof that the prosecutor and law enforcement conspired to hide the evidence. They didn't put the evidence into the Baldwin Rust File but filed it separately and never gave that to the defence. The other prosecutor heard about this misconduct and recommended that the case be dismissed and she quit the prosecution which tells you how serious the misconduct was!

[@kiba4687]

This is scary for regular people that don't have the money to fight against the government like Alec did

[@rogerthat4545]

What does money have to do with prosecutorial misconduct?

[@kiba4687]

@@rogerthat4545 it was the state bringing the case so if u dont have money for a good defense lawyer its hard for someone to fight back againat it or discover it the misconduct

[@rogerthat4545]

@kiba4687 This wasn't Johnny cochran. The defense found a glaringly obvious flaw.

[@terrencekane8203]

Felony Count Current Standings: Trump 34 Alec Baldwin 0

[@5400bowen]

Nice!

[@waitandhope]

Astonishing

[@markblain8438]

Misconduct like planting cameras in a dayspa to look at nude people Dave?

[@user-pu7ds6pm1k]

Interesting content, NewsNation.

[@JamesBoren]

FREE HANNAH .....with prejudice ...!!

[@alans5799]

they are trying now

[@JamesBoren]

@@alans5799

[@Igetit1980]

Nobody is surprised 😒

[@lanabyk8012]

I think I have some evidence for the OJ case.... I tried to contact the prosecutor, but he wouldn't listen to me... Oh well...its too late. OJ, Mr. Goldman, etc...: Rest In Peace.

[@lisasicre8233]

The Santa Fe Judicial has some bad actors for sure. The whole system is not bad, just quite a few complacent bad apples 🍏 🍏 🍎

[@lisabyers2992]

What was the information that the witness had that wasn’t turned over?

[@Charlie-lu1jn]

It was a box of ammo containing both live rounds and dummy rounds that connected one of the suspects, Seth Kenny, to being the source of bringing live rounds on the set and the police and prosecutor hid the evidence and never tested it or followed up on the lead and then lied about it. The dummy rounds were a match to the rounds used on the set of Rust and came from another movie set that Seth Kenny worked on where he used live rounds to train actors to shoot, and also used the same dummy rounds on Rust. The prosecution knew of this during Hannah's trial and now she will most likely get out on appeal.

[@HATARI678]

This is NOT the only case where the State Attorney is hiding evidence so they can get a conviction... Our son is going through hell right now because of a corrupted State Attorney and other agencies that are lying their ass of... this is going on in Virginia in the Colonial Heights court system ... WHY IS NOBODY HELPING OUR SON ??? NO, WE NOT RICH ENOUGH TO BE HELPED 😢😢😢

[@rogerthat4545]

Tell your public defender

[@corky_cork]

This judge was amazing. So great to see an honest judge doing the right thing. If Karen Read had her for a judge instead of the biased judge Karen would have had a different outcome and would be a free woman with not another trial hanging over her. Bravo to Baldwins judge.

[@claramenteful]

Erlinda Ocampo Johnson that's her name. Johnson is her second last name.

[@capricornsweetheart8102]

Glad he was giving some GRACE for the CASE👩‍⚖️🙏⚖️💯💯

[@grantnoroyan4083]

LOL WHAT GRACE

[@maryjaneshoe-fm4yr]

I find it hard to believe that Morrisey withheld the box ammo because she thought it would benefit the defense. It had no exculpatory value.

[@veronicasaavedra4856]

It did. Defence could have used the narrative that Hannah Gutierrez was framed by Seth Kenney. It was said he wanted to have her fired and he inserted himself in the investigation from the start. His assistant is the one that got rid of all the bullets on set. It’s very fishy

[@NedStark-e8s]

If it was black person in Baldwins place? 😭😭😭😭😭

[@user-pu7ds6pm1k]

This is the judges' choice, not the prosecutor's. It's a small technicality that had no bearing on the charges. For the victim's sake, this trial should have been completed and the jury should have had their say.

[@plasticity1000]

Wall, plead as an unknown! He protected His ass but he is just as guilty.

[@Mulder-Scully]

Knew he would get off scott free.................Sigh. He was a produce and was ultimately in charge of everything that went on with that set, he was negligent on not doing his due diligence in all aspects of a producers job, hiring experienced people, following all safety procedure, etc. Very sad day for Halyna Hutchins and family, it's too bad the prosecutors screwed up so badly on this case.

[@SegoMan]

Many workers walked of his set due to unsafe working conditions.

[@Mike-01234]

I think lot of accidental discharges happen on movies sets the only thing that saves people from being shot is they are blanks.

[@BeccaTheWreckahhh]

He still is deserving of a fair trial and to be judged by a jury of his "peers" based on their interpretation of all evidence presented. Theres a chance a jury may have found him guilty regardless but the prosecution blew it by not disclosing the information. It's not up to the prosecution to decide if the information is relative to the defense.

[@johnnyph12]

Halyna Hutchins Law "all actors shooting guns must check their weapons before firing. Some actors already do this.

[@lucabrasi5070]

How about a law that requires all movie set firearms to be without a firing pin or otherwise incapable of firing any kind of round. That way, actors don’t have to be firearms and ammo experts. Like the armorers are supposed to be.

[@JewTube001]

Outside of the US we can just ban guns. But Americans love guns and love guns in movies

[@plasticity1000]

Just because the prosecution fails doesn't mean the client is innocent. God pronounces ultimately.

[@Padraig1974]

Actually, it does. Under our system, innocent until proven guilty. He wasn’t proven guilty. He is innocent.

[@grantnoroyan4083]

EXACTLY JUST LIKE O J SIMPSON

[@donna25871]

Please stop with the God crap.

[@SegoMan]

@@Padraig1974 2 seconds to inspect the end of the cylinder and she would be alive. Alec has handled guns all of his acting career he knows this..

[@thefairhairedboywiththered2951]

​@@SegoMan- So should the armourer who's job it was to make sure the set was safe. I am not sure expecting an actor to be able to tell a live round from a dummy round is particularly sensible though.

[@jimfesta8981]

No justice for Halyna Hutchins due to prosecutorial misconduct.

[@diegojines-us9pc]

if trump found they was with holding evidence, then what. hahahhahaahhahahahahhahahahahhahhaahahahhaa

[@markgado8782]

So any good defence lawyer now will send 100 people to sheriff's stations across the country with spurious evidence. If the prosecutor doesn't find and disclose all 100. Case dismissed with prejudice! How is this right?

[@sunnyli7530]

They had evidance made it another case number. They hide it intetionally.. Got it.

[@MrGcamp888]

Way to go Alec

[@MysticRose24]

He still shot & killed a woman

[@beachmama381]

What a terrible outcome. He still killed that girl regardless of how it happened. He pointed the gun at her, and now there is a young boy who lost his mother.

[@B_Bodziak]

Agreed, but if the judge didn't punish the prosecution, we'd see a lot more f*ckery from district attorneys and police depts

[@jedo5821]

Exactly. Seems like a petty.

[@brandonchase4343]

yup

[@Padraig1974]

It’s the right outcome. Don’t like the man, but this charge was not right.

[@grantnoroyan4083]

1000 PERCENT

[@SegoMan]

They are celebrating the death of a person, how sick has this country become???

[@walterbo7687]

Kyle Rittenhouse is celebrated all around the country. Very sick country.

[@SegoMan]

@@walterbo7687 Kyle removed the trash from society.. Check their rap sheet..

[@lucabrasi5070]

Nobody is celebrating the death of that girl. Not sure what you are talking about.

[@JewTube001]

Who? Everyone was against the death of that lady. Nobody supported it. But we can't make Baldwin a murderer over an accident he had no intent to commit.

[@ryant3600]

@@walterbo7687 How is someone protecting their life sick? your comment is sick.

[@Nicklan1961]

The fix was in he admitted he was guilty on the video he made He pulled the trigger he never checked the weapon he's guilty.

[@lauroandrea3241]

Two tier justice system

[@walterbo7687]

Having some punctuation would help to understand your assertion.

[@bastiat6865]

He was guilty of being negligent, but he was only negligent if it was his job to check the weapon. But they hired Gutierrez as an armorer to prevent negligent discharges. His guilt was that he was the cause of her death. He was not responsible for her death. You are the kind of person I would immediately kick from the jury.

[@pgiando]

​@@lauroandrea3241one Constitution.

[@elwoodblues485]

Lawyers from all sides care more about due process than the fact a women was shot and killed accidentally due to recklessness. Wether a prosecutor trying to gain fame or a celebrity trying to have rules for thee and not for me. What a despicable society we've turned into...

[@archangel807]

Poor Alec and those seven kids....lots of pressure by his weird wife

[@Always_Thinking]

Norfolk County, MA, Bev & Lally should take some lessons! IMO he was wreckless with the gun, off script & skimped on the budget! He knows better but his arrogance was on full display!

[@dannyhvac37]

This dismissal is outrageous. For this to be a Brady violation this “evidence” would have to be material and exculpatory. Baldwin was being charged with negligent handling of a firearm. How would ammo from a different state, not related to the ammo on set, have anything to do with those charges whatsoever?

[@tri-lambda-delta]

Dismissed does not mean innocent. It means a precedent was struck from the record. it would have set a precedent that every subsequent KILLER could use "it's a Hollwood Prop Gun, aint my fault' as a defense. And if Alec officially got away with it then every KILLER saying the same thing would have to be let go.

[@SemiDad]

Innocent until proven otherwise. So, yes, INNOCENT 👍

[@peterdvideos]

It’s a travesty of justice. Horrible decision. If the prosecution’s actions warranted a mistrial that’s one thing but to dismiss the case of the person who pulled the trigger, killing the woman that is not justice.

[@DoncampbellUSMC1041]

Another 🤓 O.J.

[@user-pv9wp6vi5g]

As a nm resident I say this is typical. If you have money you can get away with anything here. Gloria Allred will get him where it hurts

[@angelusmortis3150]

Democrats win again!!!!! 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@scottthomas7147]

What's it cost to bribe a judge these days? Alec just got off from killing another human being!

[@Michael-hq1iq]

another rich and famous guy gets away with murder ! this corrupt judge needs to let the armorer go too and then give the finger to the deceased family because that is what she did !