Baldwin Manslaughter Case Temporarily Halted

Jury Sent Home

Stunning Turn in Retrial

The judge overseeing the manslaughter trial of actor Alec Baldwin halted testimony Friday and sent the jury home for the day as she considers whether to dismiss the involuntary manslaughter charge against him. It was a stunning end to the trial of Mr. Baldwin, who was rehearsing with a gun on the Rust film set in 2021 when it fired a live round, killing cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.

The judge's decision came after a dispute over evidence presented by the prosecution. The prosecution had sought to introduce text messages between Mr. Baldwin and a producer on the film, but the defense argued that the messages were protected by attorney-client privilege. The judge is expected to rule on the admissibility of the messages on Monday.

The involuntary manslaughter case against Mr. Baldwin was dismissed Friday by a judge. The judge ruled that the prosecution had failed to provide sufficient evidence to support the charge. The decision is a major victory for Mr. Baldwin, who has maintained his innocence throughout the trial.