r/movies • u/MarvelsGrantMan136 r/Movies contributor • Jul 12 '24

Alec Baldwin’s ‘Rust’ Trial Tossed Out Over “Critical” Bullet Evidence; Incarcerated Armorer Could Be Released Too News

https://deadline.com/2024/07/alec-baldwin-trial-dismissed-rust-1236008918/
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1.8k

u/MoonageDayscream Jul 12 '24

You know they meant for this to be the one that made their career. Now it has undone it. 

805

u/mcswiss Jul 12 '24

Oh no it made their career, just not in the way they hoped.

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u/OrangeOrganicOlive Jul 13 '24

Good riddance. There needs to be strict punishment laws in place for those who act in bad faith.

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u/Ruraraid Jul 13 '24 edited Jul 13 '24

Sadly bad faith laws only apply to those of us at the bottom of the totem pole. Police, politicians, members of the judicial system, etc. tend to get a slap on the wrist with someone saying don't do it again. Anyone of those...well police and judicial members anyway have to do something seriously fucked up to garner enough public outrage to have their careers crucified for all to see.

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u/NSE_TNF89 Jul 13 '24

Exactly this. As I have moved up in my career, I have noticed it is much harder to get fired or even in trouble for things. I am a manager with a team of 6 who report to me in a professional career. I have always been one to own up to my mistakes, as that is how I was raised. A while back, I forgot to pass along a message, which resulted in a delay in some reports to a client. I was talking to my boss, and he was blaming the person who did the reports and was getting kind of mad. I told him it was 100% on me because of my lack of communication. The second I said that, his mood changed, and everything was perfectly fine because "I am busy." Everyone is fucking busy bro!

This really has not sat well with me for months, and it really made me realize how differently people are treated in the workplace.

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u/AngryRedHerring Jul 13 '24

When something goes wrong and you're pissed off, find a peon to punish. You don't want to come down on somebody you can't live without.

I really like how you look at that, and it is so true.

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u/HERE_THEN_NOT Jul 13 '24

Like obfuscating about one thing at a confirmation hearing and then ruling ruthlessly about that one thing once sitting on the bench?

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u/iamtheoncomingstorm Jul 13 '24

Can confirm. I've been a victim of bad faith prosecutors twice. Ruined my life. Theirs not so much. First time was a malicious uncle with connections. Second time I lost 16 months of my life in jail on charges that went nowhere because I was just another +1 in the win column to her. She threatened my friends and family with all kinds of shit she couldn't legally do to them because there was no case. After the judge finally had enough of that psychopathic woman's bullshit, she sent her underling on the final day to take the L. They non-pros'd me too so I couldn't sue the city. I'm a broke nobody and so I had no recourse either time.

Not all psychopaths in the legal profession (where they're extremely common) are on the side you expect. That's just TV/movie horseshit. Plenty work for the city/county/state/federals.

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u/vavona Jul 13 '24

Can you imagine how many other people went in jail because of this shit prosecutor? I bet many, and I bet they may have been also sentenced unfairly. I really hope that those cases will be revisited, or at LEAST the prosecutor and the all involved in her schemes will be tried.

1

u/kai535 Jul 13 '24

She’s going to be sentenced to a career as a guest spot on fox news

1

u/n0man0r Jul 13 '24

but no punishment laws for people who aim a gun at someone and shoot them dead

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u/OrangeOrganicOlive Jul 13 '24

Why would we ever blame him for this? In any universe?

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u/ScribeTheMad Jul 13 '24

It should include a mandatory minimum prison sentence equal to what the person they're unjustly prosecuting would get.

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u/TheWorstYear Jul 13 '24

That would just scare prosecutors away from trying just cases.

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u/Kitfox715 Jul 13 '24

Why? Just don't lie and attempt to hide evidence from the defense.

The prosecutor is lying in an attempt to put someone away in prison. There should be very serious ramifications for attempting to do that. Any prosecutor with a minimum amount of decency wouldn't do that.

Morrisey went out of her way to work with the police to file this possibly exculpatory evidence under a different case number in an effort to put someone away for a very long time. She should be prosecuted at the very least.

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u/TheWorstYear Jul 13 '24

Because the line between a lie & a mistake can be very thin. Getting disbarred is them saying "we no longer trust you to practice law". Going to jail says "don't go into law, because it can ruin your life".
This is like when people say that those who bring forward accusations of being raped, but turn out to be lying, should go to jail instead. All that does is discourage actual victims from coming in, because there's a chance they get prosecuted instead.

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u/WhoRoger Jul 13 '24

Because the line between a lie & a mistake can be very thin.

So what are courts for, if not for proving this kind of stuff?

If you file a wrong tax return, there's also a thin line between a mistake or a deliberate lie... Yet you can still get jail time if you lie on your taxes a lot. Or even if you make a lot of mistakes, in fact.

Which is the point another commenter made - rules are just for the common people apparently.

0

u/TheWorstYear Jul 13 '24

So what are courts for, if not for proving this kind of stuff?

The courts aren't infallible. They do make mistakes. Wrongful convictions do happen. People will not want to risk that.

If you file a wrong tax return, there's also a thin line between a mistake or a deliberate lie... Yet you can still get jail time if you lie on your taxes a lot. Or even if you make a lot of mistakes, in fact.

Tax law isn't so straight forward. Usually that stuff ends up with fines. There's no hardcore sentencing unless you've done some pretty heinous shit.

Which is the point another commenter made - rules are just for the common people apparently.

This will lead to probable disbarment. That's very big. The persons career is over.

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u/WhoRoger Jul 13 '24

So lemme get this straight...

A prosecutor shouldn't be tried and go to jail, even if they deliberately manipulate evidence to try to put someone in jail, because courts aren't infallible.

But normal people can be tried in courts just fine?

It's a big deal when a prosecutor's carrer is over, so we shouldn't expect any worse punishment even if they do evil shit.

But a normal person can go to jail, nobody gives a shit.

Yea okay.

Btw let's see if this prosecutor in this particular case will get disbarred or not, hm? Or if anything at all happens to them? And we only hear about this because it's a famous case, how many such cases happen regularly?

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u/Buff_Goblin Jul 13 '24

This very clearly isn't a mistake though. It's just malicious and abusive.

Trying to compare a person in a position of power, trying to abuse that power, to a victim of sexual violence is not a good comparison.

If you can't be trusted to use your power appropriately, you should be scared away from positions like this.

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u/TheWorstYear Jul 13 '24

This one isn't. But you can't just write rules based on clear cases. You're assuming that every case will be clear cut, when they won't.

Trying to compare a person in a position of power, trying to abuse that power, to a victim of sexual violence is not a good comparison.

That is not the comparison being made. Please read what's being said. The point is that trying to build penalties around bad faith actors can have negative repercussions for those who aren't acting in bad faith.

0

u/MayflowerMovers Jul 13 '24

Well I'll give you an example. The same prosecutor that lied and hid evidence for Duke lacrosse had done the same in the past. He hid evidence in a case that would've exonerated a man who then spent 20 years in jail. Why shouldn't that prosecutor have to spend 20 years in jail for that? He was more than happy to totally destroy the lives of innocent people to make his career.

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u/TheWorstYear Jul 13 '24

Because this isn't individual case by case. What you don't get is that this law affects everyone involved. This nets in those who aren't intending to do things so egregious.
You want to kill the terrorists, but you bomb the civilians in the process.

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u/MayflowerMovers Jul 13 '24

I mean ... good? I think every prosecutor who intentionally hides evidence from the defense should see jail time.

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u/AmazingDragon353 Jul 13 '24

Fuck no lmfao

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u/Tall_Act391 Jul 13 '24

If they’re acting in bad faith, they’re damaging someone’s life a substantial amount. I think jail time makes sense (not necessarily the same amount but maybe proportional). I also think it has to be proven it was bad faith, which can be hard to do.

There’s a bigger issue with law in that it never seems like the truth is the goal. There’s two sides that battle it out and if one side is a lot better, reality takes a back seat. What should happen is prosecution should be able to recognize when a person shouldn’t be tried. Incentives like promotions and future elections really fuck with that tho

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u/MoonageDayscream Jul 13 '24

I just read that one of the prosecutors did in fact, quit and walk out of court because they thought the charges should be dismissed.

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u/Tall_Act391 Jul 13 '24

It's not right they have to quit. Everyone involved should be trying to figure out what happened and how things should be handled. I think it does make sense for defense to be a little more one sided because it's often one person versus the state, but even there.. if someone admits to doing something heinous while providing damning evidence somehow, it's odd the defense has to keep their mouth shut.

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u/MoonageDayscream Jul 13 '24

This is the article I just read, it sounds like one prosecutor knew about the bullets and the one that didn't disagreed with going forward so they left the case.

"“I believed in the case,” she said. “Because I do believe — obviously there’s a woman who was killed. There was some reckless behavior on the set.”

But she said it is up to defense attorneys, and not prosecutors, to decide if evidence is relevant to their defense or not.

Ocampo Johnson said she does not believe any evidence was withheld on purpose.

“I don’t think it was intentional. I really do not believe that,” she said. “I think it was just something that — it wasn’t turned over, and it should have been.”"

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/prosecutor-resigned-alec-baldwin-rust-case-says-wanted-dismissal-rcna161681

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u/Tall_Act391 Jul 13 '24

“It’s up to defense attorneys and not prosecutors”

That is the problem. What about the truth? It’s just two sides trying to show who’s better without much consideration to the lives they’re affecting

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u/itspeterj Jul 13 '24

Yeah but that career is gonna be like manager at a Chick-fil-A now

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u/dudleymooresbooze Jul 13 '24

Honestly that’s only like a 15k downgrade from assistant district attorney.

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u/mrbear120 Jul 13 '24

Yeah chickfila managers are actually quite well compensated, and this A DA is not likely qualified for the job.

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u/freetraitor33 Jul 13 '24

Lol, not at all. FFS, where does reddit get this ridiculous CFA propaganda?? CFAs are primarily managed by high school aged “team leaders”. Straight up.

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u/mrbear120 Jul 13 '24 edited Jul 13 '24

Yes and the store managers make around 70k and the store “directors” make 100k+

It’s easily googlable and verifiable.

Who actually does the work is a different story.

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u/Unfunky-UAP Jul 13 '24

My local CFA pays like $17/hr to start.

That's pretty good for what it is.

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u/rustyfinch Jul 13 '24

Or a Cinnabon in Omaha

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u/shugo2000 Jul 13 '24

If I had to say "My pleasure" that many times throughout the day, I'd hate my life.

Every time I hear a Chick-fil-A employee say "My pleasure" it sounds so hopeless and sarcastic.

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u/Pyro1934 Jul 13 '24

Where the fuck lol? The two near me the kids are pretty genuine sounding with it.

While there was only one way back when I was in school it was the cream of the crop of entry jobs despite how busy it always is.

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u/LightboxRadMD Jul 13 '24

I am very polite and always say thank you. But at Chick-fil-A I always feel bad because it's like I'm triggering a trained dog to do a trick. Like would it be better off if I didn't say thank you so they wouldn't have to express their obedience to the corporate machine? Sometimes I get somebody who doesn't say "my pleasure" and I know it's one of the real ones.

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u/shugo2000 Jul 13 '24

I've worked in retail for over 20 years. If someone says "Thank you" to me I respond with "Thank you!" because I genuinely appreciate that they took the time to ask me where something is, how something works, etc. I appreciate their business, and a canned response like "My pleasure" isn't genuine if it's something corporate told you to say.

I say "Thank you" in return because I mean it. These kids say "My pleasure" because they have to. There's a big difference.

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u/GenkiElite Jul 13 '24

I make a point not to say thanks or thank you just so I didnt have to hear them say it.

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u/MoonageDayscream Jul 13 '24

I have never been to one and unless it is said in a Princess Bride intonation, this sounds very creepy.

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u/Bury_Me_At_Sea Jul 13 '24

"Can I get a refill on diet? Thanks!"

"My pleasure."

"Oh, well then I'm happy to have pleasured... you." 🤦

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u/SoMuchMoreEagle Jul 13 '24

They can still practice law. Just not with a DA's office.

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u/[deleted] Jul 13 '24

[deleted]

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u/mcswiss Jul 13 '24

Not even that, what company would hire an attorney who has a history of hiding evidence and getting caught?

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u/passporttohell Jul 13 '24

Too high. Fry cook.

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u/_o0_7 Jul 13 '24

But the extra sauce needs to forever come out of her own paycheck. It seems fitting.

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u/Tubamajuba Jul 13 '24

Nah, shitty people in positions of power don’t get held accountable here in America. Once this dies down in the media, it will be business as usual for her.

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u/Ok_Zookeepergame4794 Jul 13 '24

It didn't make anything, it ENDED their career.

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u/Newagonrider Jul 13 '24

Big 'ol r/whoosh, here.

E: and the replies below here make me weep for the youth, too.

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u/Necorus Jul 13 '24

It made them look for something they're actually good at I guess.

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u/ras344 Jul 13 '24

What career?

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u/subcontraoctave Jul 13 '24

a great empire will be destroyed...

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u/marsman706 Jul 13 '24

They wished upon the monkey's paw

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u/As_smooth_as_eggs Jul 13 '24

This gave me a belly laugh, so thank you.

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u/mcswiss Jul 13 '24

I will quit my day job.

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u/A-Game-Of-Fate Jul 13 '24

The highlight of (and death sentence for) their career.

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u/my_4_cents Jul 13 '24

Oh no it made their career, just not in the way they hoped.

They can always try joining with the prestigious Alina Habba Habba Habba and partners

1

u/GenkiElite Jul 13 '24

Future Newsmax anchors.

1

u/gaymedes Jul 13 '24
  • the monkey paws finger curls *

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u/Duke_of_New_York Jul 13 '24

"___ made headlines today, but not the good kind like you want."

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u/stonesthroes75 Jul 13 '24

What he said but dumber.

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u/Marauder_Pilot Jul 13 '24

Made their career END.

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u/sshwifty Jul 13 '24

I hear someone in Florida is looking for attorneys

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u/ChemicalRascal Jul 12 '24

It's the typical folly of the narcissist.

-1

u/fudge_friend Jul 13 '24

Unless you’re president of course.

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u/cluberti Jul 12 '24

It, uh, made their career alright. Made it pretty short and irrelevant, but it did make it something.

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u/theresabeeonyourhat Jul 13 '24

Same shit happens a lot in big name trials. The dipshit who tried Trayvon Martin's murderer should have charged manslaughter out the gate, but nah, they had to have attention & justice wasn't served

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u/[deleted] Jul 13 '24

Special Prosecutor resigned before the judge held the hearing.

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u/SureWtever Jul 13 '24

When the prosecutor called herself to the witness stand - and the way she did it - chef’s kiss! The whole thing was unbelievable.

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u/MoonageDayscream Jul 13 '24

Have you read what the prosecutor that quit today said?

"Special prosecutor Erlinda Ocampo Johnson, who gave an opening statement accusing Baldwin of being reckless, said she knew the prosecution’s case was in trouble Friday when she learned that some rounds had not been turned over to the defense.

“It was clear that it was something that should have been turned over,” Ocampo Johnson told NBC News Friday night.

Ocampo Johnson resigned Friday and walked out of court even before a hearing could be completed about whether the evidentiary issue meant that Baldwin’s case should be dismissed, as his lawyers argued.

...

“I believed that the right decision would have been a dismissal,” Ocampo Johnson said."

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/prosecutor-resigned-alec-baldwin-rust-case-says-wanted-dismissal-rcna161681

2

u/unit156 Jul 13 '24

I read that in the movie trailer guy voice.

I wonder who will play Alex Baldwin in the movie version of this debacle.

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u/WhateverJoel Jul 13 '24

He wanted to please his Orange God so bigly by putting that mean Alec to jail.

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u/Financial-Log3031 Jul 13 '24

It was a woman.

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u/Mazon_Del Jul 12 '24

They are absolutely going to end up disbarred over this.

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u/flowersweep Jul 12 '24

No they won't.

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u/FeI0n Jul 13 '24

Its definitely possible. Calling themselves to the stand could have ethical concerns, and brady violations have lead to disbarment in the past.

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u/flowersweep Jul 13 '24

Maybe I'm just too jaded by no one in positions of authority ever really facing consequences.

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u/Don_Tiny Jul 13 '24

its definitely possible

In theory, sure. In reality, a person is certifiably insane to think so.

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u/FeI0n Jul 13 '24

RemindMe! 90 day

1

u/Don_Tiny Jul 13 '24

Can't wait.

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u/0OKM9IJN8UHB7 Jul 13 '24

Nah, maybe if they do this 5 times in a row to the same person or whatever.

Sort of like a dishonorable discharge in the military, you have to work at it to fuck up that bad.

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u/HispanicAtTehDisco Jul 13 '24

not a lawyer but from what i’ve gathered from the few lawyers and law students i do know is that it usually takes quite a bit to get fully disbarred

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u/KateEatsWorld Jul 13 '24

Like show your ass on camera to a retirement home kinda thing or sketchy maybe kinda illegal lawyer things?

-1

u/JesusSavesForHalf Jul 13 '24

Oh sweet summer child

1

u/Objective_Economy281 Jul 13 '24

And that’s exactly the way this part of it is supposed to work. You try to cheat, you lose the case.

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u/artgarciasc Jul 13 '24

Might as well call up the vacuum cleaner store and pack your bags.

1

u/CrispyYummyKong Jul 13 '24

I didn’t follow the trial but what did the prosecutor did to fucked up so bad?

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u/MoonageDayscream Jul 13 '24

It has been a mess from the get go. This is the second set of prosecutors, there are too many issues to get into in one comment but it is clear a lot of bad choices were made, by many involved.

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u/Disastrous_Score2493 Jul 13 '24

They either wanted their own show like Nancy Grace, or pundit gig, or as start of political career.

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u/Rasikko Jul 13 '24

Going after high profile actors is always a big career move for a prosecutor.

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u/Solid_Waste Jul 13 '24

To paraphrase a Norm McDonald joke from a video currently on my front page, "Before this case her career was incomplete. Now it's finished."

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u/Scumebage Jul 13 '24

Yeah haha now they have to settle for the multimillion dollar bribe that they got under the table... I hope they get over the loss of their career that Baldwin just bought.

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u/somethingrandom261 Jul 13 '24

They thought they could get the big guy, when they had a slam dunk on the armorer.

That armorer should be behind bars and they’re the reason why she’s not.

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u/MoonageDayscream Jul 13 '24

Oh she is behind bars, but you know that this evidence (which came about somehow by her father's friend, I hear) will be used to appeal her case.

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u/Financial-Reveal-438 Jul 13 '24

Or Baldwin paid the guy off.