In an ongoing twist in the high-profile trial of actor Alec Baldwin for involuntary manslaughter, the defense has filed a motion claiming that crucial evidence related to the investigation into the tragic "Rust" shooting incident was concealed from them. The jury has been dismissed for the day while the court deliberates on this motion.

The defense, in an expedited motion filed late Thursday, argued that the case should be dismissed due to mishandling of ammunition evidence. The defense alleged that live ammunition, which ended up in the possession of local law enforcement, was concealed from them, raising concerns about the integrity of the investigation.

Prosecutors, however, countered the defense's claims, arguing that the evidence holds no exculpatory value and is not relevant to Baldwin's case. The state asserted that the ammunition in question has no connection to Baldwin's actions on the set of "Rust," where cinematographer Halyna Hutchins lost her life when a live round was fired from his revolver.

The court is currently on break before hearing expected testimony from key individuals involved in the case, including Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office Cpl. Alexandra Hancock, the lead detective, and Seth Kenney, who supplied firearms, blanks, and dummy rounds for the film. Both witnesses are anticipated to shed light on the handling of the ammunition.

During a courtroom exchange on Thursday, defense attorney Luke Nikas brought up an incident in March when a "good Samaritan" handed over ammunition to the Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office. The ammunition was reported to have come into the possession of Kenney, but the defense argued that it was not included in the evidence presented during the trial.

Marissa Poppell, a crime scene technician with the Sheriff's Office, testified that she was instructed to create a separate report for the ammunition incident, using a case number different from the "Rust" case. The defense alleged that this separation effectively buried the evidence.

Crucially, the defense questioned whether law enforcement possesses the matching rounds to the ammunition that caused Hutchins' death. Poppell admitted that she did not know and confirmed that the rounds were not sent to the FBI for testing alongside the other evidence from the "Rust" set.

Prosecutor Kari Morrissey sought to redirect the focus by reminding the court that Baldwin has not been charged with bringing live rounds onto the set or loading a live round into the gun, as another individual, armorer Hannah Gutierrez, has already been tried and convicted for those counts in relation to Hutchins' death.

Morrissey also revealed that the "good Samaritan" who provided the ammunition in question was Troy Teske, a close friend of Gutierrez's father. Teske's motive to blame Seth Kenney, who supplied the firearms and ammunition, was questioned by the prosecution, though Poppell stated that she was unaware of any such motivations.

Poppell further testified that Kenney provided the sheriff's office with his own live rounds for testing, which did not match the ammunition found on the "Rust" set. The live ammunition discovered at Kenney's prop house also failed to be a match.

During Friday's motion hearing, Morrissey maintained that the state had determined based on a photograph provided by Teske that the ammunition in question had no evidentiary value in either the Gutierrez or Baldwin cases. Morrissey stated, "There is absolutely nothing about the ammunition that Troy Teske had that has any evidentiary value in the Gutierrez case. It has no evidentiary value in the Baldwin case."

As the court continues to ponder the defense's motion, the revelation of alleged concealed evidence has added a new layer of complexity to the trial. The defense asserts that this evidence is critical and should have been disclosed, further heightening the already intense scrutiny surrounding the trial.

Disclaimer: This article is a summary of the information provided and does not take into account any subsequent developments in the trial.