Special Prosecutor ‘Rust’ Andrea Reeb resigns after Alec Baldwin enhancement charges are dropped

QZQNEWSMarch 15, 2023

'Best way I can ensure justice is served': 'Rust' special prosecutor Andrea Reeb quits after Alec Baldwin's enhancement charges dropped

SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO: The New Mexico First Judicial District Attorney’s Office announced Tuesday, March 14 that Special Prosecutor Andrea Reeb has left the “Rust” case ahead of the upcoming trial. Reeb quit because she didn’t want questions about her dual position as lawmaker and prosecutor to “cloud” the issues.

Alec Baldwin and gunsmith “Rust” Hannah Gutierrez Reid were not charged with firearms enhancements in January, a step above manslaughter charges that carry a required minimum of five years in prison. Baldwin and Gutierrez-Reed can only receive a minimum or no prison sentence if they are simply charged with manslaughter, because the maximum sentence in New Mexico is only 18 months. The decision by Reeb and the district attorney’s office to file enhancement charges drew criticism from Baldwin’s attorneys and court officials because it was based on state laws that were not in effect in the United States. moment of the accidental shooting that claimed the life of “Rust” Halyna’s cinematographer. Hutchins.

Alec Baldwin’s lawyer’s claim that the ‘Rust’ gun used to kill Halyna Hutchins was destroyed by the state has been dismissed by DA

‘Rust’ site manager claims ‘revenge’ plot against Alec Baldwin may have led to loaded gun

“My priority in this case has been justice”

In a statement announcing his withdrawal from the ‘Rust’ case, Reeb said: “After careful consideration, I have made the difficult decision to step down as Special Prosecutor in the ‘Rust’ case. My priority in this case — and in every case I have sued in my 25-year career — has been justice for the victim,” according to the Wrap.

Reeb added: “However, it has become clear that the best way to ensure justice is served in this case is to step aside so that the prosecution can focus on the evidence and the facts, which clearly show a complete disregard for the basic security protocols led to the death of Halyna Hutchins I won’t let questions about my role as lawmaker and prosecutor cloud the real issue.

Santa Fe District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies named Reeb to head the prosecution in August 2022. Additionally, in November 2022, Reeb, a longtime prosecutor from Clovis, New Mexico, was elected as a Republican representative in the state House of Representatives. .

Why did Alec Baldwin call for Andrea Reeb’s dismissal?

Reeb’s dual role did not sit well with Baldwin and her attorney, as they had also filed a motion in January to remove her from the case. They claimed that as a newly elected state legislator in New Mexico, Reeb’s presence in the trial violated the state’s constitution, which prohibits one branch of government from exercising power over another branch. .

Prosecutors rejected that rationale in a court filing earlier in February, saying “the acceptance [the] Defendant’s theory would require the Court to create a new law, which would have statewide implications, based on nothing more than a creative and legally unsubstantiated argument,” according to the Wrap.

Reeb’s decision to withdraw from the future trial, however, means that the prosecutor in the case will have to be replaced. The prosecutor’s office will now have to recruit a new prosecutor for the high-profile case, which will hold its next two-week hearing on March 3.