Alec Baldwin has called out New Mexico prosecutors for their "extraordinary" media briefings after an enhancement on one of his involuntary manslaughter charges was dropped. The actor’s legal team said that as the "legally erroneous" enhancement had been rescinded, their own previous motion to have the charge dropped was now "moot".
Baldwin has been charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter by the DA’s office, over the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins in October 2021. A firearm enhancement added to the second count, which would have made the crime punishable by a mandatory five years in jail, was dropped by the District Attorney’s office on Monday.
The DA said the decision had been made "in order to avoid further litigious distractions" by Baldwin and his legal team. But in a filing to withdraw their motion on Monday, representatives for Baldwin said members of the prosecution team had "amplified the error" by giving interviews on national television.
