In a surprising turn of events, Alec Baldwin's defense team has filed a motion seeking the dismissal of his manslaughter case in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The motion argues that the state failed to disclose a crucial batch of bullets to the defense, adding to a string of alleged disclosure violations by the prosecution.

On Friday morning, Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer adjourned the trial proceedings for the weekend to allow for further exploration of the defense's motion. Attorney Luke Nikas strongly emphasized the repeated occurrence of these violations, stating, "This is not the first time. This is not the second time. It's time for this case to be dismissed."

Baldwin stands accused of shooting cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the movie "Rust" in 2021. The actor was unaware that the firearm contained a live round, with the source of the live bullets on the set becoming a critical mystery in the case.

Former police officer Troy Teske submitted a batch of bullets to the Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office in March, claiming they matched the fatal round. However, defense attorney Alex Spiro questioned why these bullets had not been made available to the defense before the trial, accusing the detectives of withholding evidence.

During a court hearing on the defense motion, prosecutor Kari Morrissey argued that the bullets presented by the defense were not a match and held no evidentiary value. To assess their validity, Judge Marlowe Sommer carefully examined the rounds with gloves, while crime scene technician Marissa Poppell inspected them individually. While some rounds appeared to match the characteristics of the fatal bullet, Poppell emphasized the need for further analysis to confirm an exact match.

Spiro argued that the defense was never given the opportunity to conduct such analysis. The bullets were promptly displayed on a table in front of the judge's bench, with Morrissey admitting she had never seen them before. However, Morrissey contended that, if they do match the fatal bullet, it would only reinforce the prosecution's theory that armorer Hannah Gutierrez Reed had brought the live bullets onto the set.

Judge Marlowe Sommer did not reach a decision on the defense motion on Friday morning, indicating the need for additional testimony from the state. The hearing took place in the absence of the jury, who were eventually dismissed for the day and instructed to return on Monday.

Possible alternatives proposed in response to the defense's motion include issuing an instruction to the jurors, allowing them to infer that the state withheld the bullets due to their potential benefit to the defense. Furthermore, another option could be delaying the case to grant the defense ample time to examine the evidence. However, Nikas argued that this would not suffice as the trial had already commenced, and defense strategies had already been formulated.

It is worth noting that Judge Marlowe Sommer previously rejected a pre-trial defense motion to dismiss the case over alleged disclosure violations, ruling that the defense had not suffered unfair prejudice.

As the trial continues, the revelation of these previously undisclosed bullets brings a new twist to the proceedings, further complicating the already intricate legal battle surrounding the tragic shooting incident on the film set.