Manslaughter case against Alec Baldwin dismissed by US judge

Baldwin cried, hugged his two lawyers, gestured to the front of the court, then turned to hug his crying wife Hilaria

Actor Alec Baldwin has been cleared. Picture: Ramsay de Give/Pool Photo via AP

A New Mexico judge has brought a sudden end to the involuntary manslaughter case against Alec Baldwin, dismissing it in the middle of the actor’s trial and saying it cannot be filed again.

Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer dismissed the case with prejudice based on the misconduct of police and prosecutors over the withholding of evidence from the defence after the shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the film Rust.