American Military News by Meg James and Anousha Sakoui March 27, 2023
Attorneys for “Rust” weapons handler Hannah Gutierrez Reed are seeking to block the appointment of a new special prosecutor after a state lawmaker who had served in that role resigned amid controversy.
Gutierrez Reed’s lawyers on Friday blasted New Mexico 1st Judicial District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies’ efforts to hire a new special prosecutor to try to win felony convictions against actor Alec Baldwin and Gutierrez Reed.
In late January, Carmack-Altwies charged Baldwin and Gutierrez Reed with involuntary manslaughter in the October 2021 shooting death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of “Rust,” near Santa Fe. Both Baldwin and Gutierrez Reed have pleaded not guilty.
The Albuquerque attorneys representing armorer Gutierrez Reed — Jason Bowles and Todd Bullion — argued in a court filing Friday that New Mexico law doesn’t allow district attorneys to add a special prosecutor just because a case is high-profile.
Their court brief was the latest twist in the unfolding legal drama.
Carmack-Altwies sought a special prosecutor because her staff is small and public interest in Baldwin’s fate has been intense. Last summer, she hired veteran prosecutor Andrea Reeb — months before Reeb was elected to the New Mexico Legislature.
Attorneys for Baldwin and Gutierrez Reed attacked the selection, arguing in recent court documents that Reeb had an untenable conflict of interest. New Mexico law, they alleged, did not allow her to simultaneously serve in the legislative as well as judicial branches of government.
Reeb resigned this month, and Carmack-Altwies asked the judge to allow for the appointment of a new special prosecutor.
More:
https://americanmilitarynews.com/2023/03/rust-armorer-seeks-to-block-special-prosecutor-in-criminal-case/
