Author: Stephanie Gauthier

Kari Morrissey, the New Mexico prosecutor in charge of the Alec Baldwin trial, has asked the judge to reconsider her decision to drop the criminal case against the actor. She argues that the reasons that led to the unexpected abandonment of the trial in July are not justified.

This request comes after Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer dismissed the trial with prejudice in July, following the discovery of evidence that had not been disclosed to the defense.

The prosecutor in the “Rust” case has asked the judge to reconsider her decision to throw out the manslaughter charge against actor Alec Baldwin, and suggested the government may seek to reinstate the case on appeal. https://t.co/K0xc5QQLgb

— Variety (@Variety) September 5, 2024

Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer’s decision in July was prompted by the revelation that evidence had been deliberately withheld from the defense, according to Baldwin’s lawyers.

This decision has major consequences, as it prohibits the filing of new charges against the actor, making it impossible to hold a new trial without new charges.

For her part, the prosecutor has rejected any malicious intent and now asserts before the judge that the evidence withheld – ammunition turned over to the sheriff’s office last March, shortly after the trial of Hannah Gutierrez Reed, the Rust gunsmith currently sentenced to 18 months in prison for manslaughter in the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, ended – had no connection with the ammunition used on set at the time of the incident.

It should be recalled that Alec Baldwin had been charged with manslaughter following the death of Halyna Hutchins, when a revolver Baldwin was holding discharged during a rehearsal. Baldwin has since claimed that he did not pull the trigger, but simply pulled the hammer back, which would have triggered the shot.

During his trial this summer, the case came to an unexpected end when, during witness testimony, it was revealed that ammunition had been delivered to the New Mexico Sheriff’s Office by Troy Teske, a friend of Hannah Gutierrez Reed’s stepfather. The judge ultimately concluded that the prosecution had omitted crucial evidence and that it was impossible for the court to correct this error.

The prosecutor hopes to convince the judge that the omission was unintentional.

Her co-prosecutor, who resigned after this surprising discovery during Baldwin’s trial, also shares this sentiment, claiming that it was not a deliberate act.

Salvador Plasencia and Jasveen Sangha, nicknamed Hollywood’s “Ketamine Queen”, among the main defendants in the case of actor Matthew Perry’s tragic death in October 2023, have finally been granted a date for their trial concerning the death of the actor from Friends and several other films and series.

https://Twitter.com/Variety/status/1831123940984672729

Plasencia and Sangha, who both deny the charges against them, are charged, after a months-long investigation, with distribution of ketamine.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for February 19, with the trial set to begin on March 4, 2025.

Perry was discovered dead in his Pacific Palisades home, having succumbed to the “acute effects of ketamine”, which led to his accidental drowning.

Dr. Salvador Plasencia is charged primarily with conspiracy to distribute ketamine. The prosecution also alleges that he falsified records and distributed ketamine outside normal medical practice and without medical justification.

According to the indictment, Plasencia sold vials of ketamine to Matthew Perry and even showed the actor’s long-time personal assistant Kenny Iwamasa, also charged, how to administer the drug.

Sangha, meanwhile, allegedly ran a drug-dealing ring from her home in North Hollywood, specializing in transactions with celebrities and high-end clients…

She faces charges of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, as well as several ketamine-related charges.

Plasencia could face a hefty sentence of up to 20 years in prison if convicted.

Sangha faces a life sentence if convicted.

While a Brazilian judge had ordered the suspension of social network X (Twitter) due to non-compliance with local legislation, the Brazilian Supreme Court unanimously upheld this decision.

As a result, Elon Musk’s social network has been blocked throughout the country.

A panel of Brazil’s federal supreme court justices voted unanimously to uphold orders suspending the use of Elon Musk’s social network X nationwide. https://t.co/vdpwOVmUKP

— NBC News (@NBCNews) September 3, 2024

The suspension of social network X in Brazil was implemented on Saturday, following an order issued when Elon Musk, despite multiple requests from a judge, had refused to appoint a legal representative for the company in Brazil.

Under Brazilian law, any company operating in the country must have a local legal representative.

Misinformation is at the heart of this legal dispute between Elon Musk and the judge, which began last April, when the latter ordered the suspension of several accounts accused of spreading misinformation in Brazil.

Recall that the situation deteriorated last month, when X closed its office in Brazil after refusing to comply with what Musk considers censorship.

The judge harshly criticized X and Elon Musk, saying the latter saw himself as above the law. He ordered him to find a local representative or risk being blocked, a threat he was eventually forced to carry out.

Elon Musk described the ban on his platform as an attack on freedom of expression, and stepped up his criticism of Brazil’s Supreme Court and the government.

Starlink, Musk’s satellite internet company, has also reportedly refused to comply with the Brazilian court order to block X. This could result in similar sanctions for Starlink to those imposed on X.