A New Mexico judge has dismissed a civil lawsuit filed by Alec Baldwin against local prosecutors and law enforcement officials over their handling of the fatal 2021 shooting on the set of the film Rust.

Judge Casey Fitch issued the ruling last Tuesday, stating the case had seen no significant activity for 180 days. The dismissal order, made public a day later, gives any party involved 30 days to request that the case be reopened.

Baldwin filed the lawsuit in January, naming special prosecutor Kari Morrissey, Santa Fe District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies, sheriff’s investigators, and others. He accused them of malicious abuse of process, defamation, and mishandling evidence during the criminal investigation that led to manslaughter charges against him. His legal team argued the case against him was pursued for personal and political reasons.

The lawsuit followed the dismissal of Baldwin’s criminal trial in July 2024. At that time, a judge found that prosecutors and investigators had failed to share key evidence about the source of the live round that killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and injured director Joel Souza.

The shooting took place during a rehearsal on a movie set near Santa Fe. Baldwin was holding a prop firearm while setting up a camera shot when the gun discharged. The weapon was later found to contain a live round that had been loaded by the film’s armorer, Hannah Gutierrez. She was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in March and is currently serving an 18-month sentence.

Baldwin, who was both an actor and producer on the film, has stated he did not pull the trigger and was not responsible for weapons safety on set. His legal team has also maintained that live ammunition should never have been present.

In a statement following the dismissal, Baldwin’s attorney said settlement discussions are underway and the lawsuit may be refiled if an agreement is not reached.