Judge grants prosecutors immunity, dismissing most of Alec Baldwin's Rust lawsuit

A federal judge on Wednesday dismissed the majority of actor Alec Baldwin’s civil rights lawsuit against the prosecutors involved in the Rust shooting, citing absolute prosecutorial immunity. Judge Kea Riggs noted the disturbing allegations but affirmed that the doctrine protects officials like special prosecutor Kari Morrissey from civil liability. Baldwin’s case, filed after his involuntary manslaughter trial was halted over alleged evidence withholding, accused the prosecutors of presenting false grand-jury information, hiding firearms reports, and filing an unlawful gun enhancement.

The decision preserves claims tied to Morrissey’s public statements and the alleged concealment of a bullet cache, while other named defendants include district attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies and former special prosecutor Andrea Reeb. Separate motions to dismiss Baldwin’s claims against Santa Fe County have not yet been resolved. The ruling highlights the high threshold for suing prosecutors even amid serious misconduct claims.