Alec Baldwin beamed with happiness as he left a New Mexico restaurant hours after his murder trial was dismissed.
The 66-year-old actor was joined by his actor brother Stephen as he headed to Casa Chimayo restaurant to celebrate the moment.
Baldwin’s wife, Hilaria, was noticeably absent from the party, having been a pillar at her husband’s side throughout the trial.
When the case was dismissed Friday afternoon, she was seen hugging Baldwin for a while as he broke down in tears over the outcome.
Alec Baldwin had a big smile on his face as he stepped out at a New Mexico restaurant to celebrate the dismissal of his murder trial.
Baldwin, 66, was joined by his actor brother Stephen and several others at the post-trial party, though his wife Hilaria appeared to be noticeably absent.
Baldwin’s case was dismissed with prejudice, meaning prosecutors cannot bring the same charges against him in the case and the trial is permanently dismissed.
Though he has pending civil court cases, Baldwin seemed relieved to celebrate the dismissal of criminal charges in the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins in October 2021.
The 66-year-old took to the streets of Santa Fe, New Mexico, hours after the decision was read, wearing a black T-shirt, a blue jacket and blue pants.
Alec received cheers from fans as he and a group walked into the restaurant, and was seen giving his followers a thumbs up.
His actor brother Stephen, who appeared in hits like The Usual Suspects and Born on the Fourth of July, joined Alec at the restaurant with a Lululemon bag in tow.
About an hour after Alec’s case was dismissed, Stephen took On Instagram to share a cryptic religious message, featuring a speaker talking about how “the entire judicial system can condemn you for the rest of your life.”
Stephen was wearing a blue T-shirt and grey trousers and the two were joined by three other people inside the restaurant.
Alec received cheers from fans as he and a group walked into the restaurant, and he was seen waving and giving his followers the thumbs up.
Alec’s brother Stephen was dressed casually in a blue T-shirt and grey pants, carrying a Lululemon bag.
Baldwin looked carefree as he walked into a Mexican restaurant wearing a black T-shirt, a blue blazer and blue pants.
While Alec appeared unconcerned as he prepared to dine at the Mexican restaurant, the widow of the only person convicted in the Rust case spoke out about the sensational turnaround.
Gunsmith Hannah Gutierrez-Reed was convicted earlier this year of involuntary manslaughter and received an 18-month sentence, the same as Alec would face if convicted.
Speaking exclusively to DailyMail.com, legendary Hollywood gunsmith Thell Reed, 81, said his daughter Hannah has been made a “scapegoat” for the tragic shooting.
Legendary Hollywood gunsmith Thell Reed, 81, has said his daughter Hannah’s case should be thrown out after Alec Baldwin’s trial on the same charges was dismissed.
Reed said: ‘Well, I think that’s a good thing (Baldwin’s dismissal). I think Hannah’s case should be dismissed as well.
“There’s a lot of evidence that hasn’t been heard at all. They suppressed all the important evidence and I guess Baldwin’s lawyers brought it to light.”
Hannah, 27, is currently serving her sentence at the Santa Fe County Adult Detention Center and was scheduled to take the stand to testify in Baldwin’s case.
Reed told DailyMail.com that she hopes the dismissal of Baldwin’s case will now give her daughter grounds to appeal her own conviction and said prosecutors have made her a scapegoat.
He added: “This should be grounds for appeal. She did nothing wrong. She has been made a scapegoat.”
Hannah Gutierrez-Reed wipes away tears at her April 15, 2024 sentencing, where she was ordered to serve 18 months in prison.
Rust gunsmith poses for mugshot after being found guilty of manslaughter
Baldwin’s case was sensationally dismissed after a judge ruled that the prosecution had withheld key evidence that “impacted the fundamental fairness of the case.”
The extraordinary decision came after a day-long hearing without the presence of the jury on bullets that should have been in evidence and that Baldwin’s lawyers say were “hidden” and “buried” in another file in the case.
During Friday’s chaotic and ill-tempered hearing, Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer asked that the bullets be brought into the courtroom where, in unusual scenes, she put on gloves and inspected them herself.
Baldwin’s attorney, Luke Nikas, told the court that the bullets were brought to police in Santa Fe in March of this year by former police officer Troy Teske, who claimed they were the same type used to shoot Hutchins.
Baldwin’s attorney, Nikas, claimed prosecutors “buried” the bullets as evidence by giving them a different case number than the main Rust investigation.
As a result, when Baldwin’s attorneys went to police to see all of Rust’s ammunition in April, they were not shown any, in violation of the rules of evidence.
