Alec Baldwin legal saga unravels

With Friday's ruling, the manslaughter case against Alec Baldwin is set for trial at the beginning of July, as the judge rejected the request to terminate the case, reports AP, quoted by BTA.

The termination request by Baldwin's attorneys was based on complaints that key evidence was tampered with by the FBI during the forensic examination.

Judge Mary Marlow Sommer sided with prosecutors, denying the motion to dismiss the case.

Defense attorneys argued that the gun used in the fatal shooting was severely damaged during FBI forensic testing before it was examined for possible modifications or problems that could exonerate the actor-producer.

The court's decision removes one of the last hurdles for prosecutors to take the case to trial, with jury selection scheduled for July 9 in Santa Fe.

During a rehearsal on the set of the western film "Rust" in 2021, Baldwin points a gun at cameraman Halina Hutchins when the revolver goes off, killing her and wounding director Souza, the bullet lodged in his shoulder. Baldwin claims he pulled back the hammer of the gun, but not the trigger, and has pleaded not guilty.

FBI agents conduct a random-fire test of the gun by hitting it from several angles with a rawhide mallet, eventually breaking it. Prosecutors plan to present evidence at trial that they say shows the firearm "could not have fired without pulling the trigger" and was working properly before the shooting. This way, Baldwin will not have the opportunity to be exonerated.

After the shooting in 2021, the pictures of "Rust" were resumed, but moved to Montana under an agreement with Hutchins' husband, Matthew, making him an executive producer. The finished film has not yet been seen by the general public.