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Alec Baldwin Prosecutor Asks Judge to Reconsider Manslaughter Case Dismissal

Actor Alec Baldwin, center, reacts as he sits between his attorneys Alex Spiro, left, and Luke Nikas after the judge threw out the involuntary manslaughter case for the 2021 fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins during filming of the Western movie "Rust," Friday, July 12, 2024, in Santa Fe, N.M. (Ramsay de Give/Pool Photo via AP)
Actor Alec Baldwin, center, reacts as he sits between his attorneys Alex Spiro, left, and Luke Nikas after the judge threw out the involuntary manslaughter case for the 2021 fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins during filming of the Western movie "Rust," Friday, July 12, 2024, in Santa Fe, N.M. (Ramsay de Give/Pool Photo via AP)
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Alec Baldwin Prosecutor Asks Judge to Reconsider Manslaughter Case Dismissal

Actor Alec Baldwin, center, reacts as he sits between his attorneys Alex Spiro, left, and Luke Nikas after the judge threw out the involuntary manslaughter case for the 2021 fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins during filming of the Western movie "Rust," Friday, July 12, 2024, in Santa Fe, N.M. (Ramsay de Give/Pool Photo via AP)
Actor Alec Baldwin, center, reacts as he sits between his attorneys Alex Spiro, left, and Luke Nikas after the judge threw out the involuntary manslaughter case for the 2021 fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins during filming of the Western movie "Rust," Friday, July 12, 2024, in Santa Fe, N.M. (Ramsay de Give/Pool Photo via AP)

A US prosecutor has called on a judge to reconsider her dismissal of Alec Baldwin's involuntary manslaughter trial, disputing the court's ruling that law enforcement authorities deliberately withheld key evidence in their case against the Hollywood star.
In a court motion made public Wednesday, New Mexico prosecutor Kari Morrissey said the decision to throw out the trial over a fatal shooting on the movie set of "Rust" was flawed, and that the evidence was held back only because it was "immaterial”, reported AFP.
"There was no cover-up because there was nothing to cover up," said the filing, which "respectfully requests the Court reconsider its dismissal of the case with prejudice."
Hollywood A-lister Baldwin was pointing a gun in the direction of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins during a rehearsal in October 2021 when the weapon fired, killing her and wounding the film's director.
Prosecutors claimed he ignored basic gun safety laws and acted recklessly on set.
The defense said the actor had no responsibility for checking the weapon's contents and did not know it contained live rounds.
The high-profile case went to trial in July, but collapsed in spectacular fashion as judge Mary Marlowe Sommer found important evidence had been withheld from the defense.
Live bullets potentially matching the round used in the fatal shooting had been handed to law enforcement by former police officer Troy Teske, it emerged during trial.
But they were not disclosed to Baldwin's lawyers, and the evidence was not cataloged under the "Rust" case file by crime scene technicians.
Sommer ruled that the withholding of evidence was "intentional and deliberate."
She swiftly dismissed the case against Baldwin, who could have been sentenced to 18 months in prison if found guilty.
Legal experts said Baldwin was highly unlikely to see the inside of a criminal court again over the shooting.
But in their new motion, prosecutors argue that the "buried" rounds could have been "purchased at any gun store two and a half years after Ms Hutchins death" and were "immaterial to the case against Mr. Baldwin."
"Nothing about the details of how the live rounds were introduced to the set is relevant or material to the charges against Mr Baldwin... it was still Alec Baldwin's responsibility to handle his real prop gun safely," they wrote.
The motion also asks for Baldwin's lawyers to be ordered to explain how they learned of the ammunition handed to police by Teske, suggesting that "a record for possible review by a higher court can be created."

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Entertainment

Britney Spears Arrested and Released, California Sheriff's Records Show

(FILES) US singer Britney Spears arrives for the premiere of Sony Pictures' "Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood" at the TCL Chinese Theater in Hollywood, California on July 22, 2019. (Photo by VALERIE MACON / AFP)
(FILES) US singer Britney Spears arrives for the premiere of Sony Pictures' "Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood" at the TCL Chinese Theater in Hollywood, California on July 22, 2019. (Photo by VALERIE MACON / AFP)
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Britney Spears Arrested and Released, California Sheriff's Records Show

(FILES) US singer Britney Spears arrives for the premiere of Sony Pictures' "Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood" at the TCL Chinese Theater in Hollywood, California on July 22, 2019. (Photo by VALERIE MACON / AFP)
(FILES) US singer Britney Spears arrives for the premiere of Sony Pictures' "Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood" at the TCL Chinese Theater in Hollywood, California on July 22, 2019. (Photo by VALERIE MACON / AFP)

Britney Spears was arrested Wednesday night in Southern California and booked early the following morning, though the charge was not clear, according to the Ventura County Sheriff’s office website.

Messages seeking comment were left with the sheriff's office; the California Highway Patrol, which was identified as the arresting agency; and Spears' representative.

Spears was arrested around 9:30 p.m. in Ventura County and released on Thursday, sheriff's office records show. She has a May 4 court date schedule, The Associated Press reported.

Spears, born in Mississippi and raised in Louisiana, was a teen pop phenomenon who became a defining superstar of the ’90s and 2000s. She rose to fame from Disney Channel’s “The Mickey Mouse Club” to MTV and beyond, with such era-defining hits like “... Baby One More Time,” “Oops! ... I Did It Again” and “Toxic.”

Most of her albums have been certified platinum, according to the Recording Industry Association of America, with two diamond titles: 1999’s “ ... Baby One More Time” and 2000’s “Oops! ... I Did It Again.” Her last full-length album, “Glory,” was released in 2016.

Spears became a focus of tabloids in the early 2000s, and a source of public scrutiny, as she battled mental illness and paparazzi documented the details of her private life.

Later, as cultural opinion evolved to recognize the misogynistic media coverage of the time, Spears’ fight to control her life became the focus of the #FreeBritney movement.

In 2008, Spears was placed under a court-ordered conservatorship, run primarily by her father and his lawyers, that would control her personal and financial decisions for well over a decade. It was dissolved in 2021. Two years later, she released a bestselling, tell-all memoir, “The Woman in Me.”

Entertainment

Disney Pixar's 'Hoppers' Seeks to Turn Viral Meme Into Box Office Gold

US actor Jon Hamm (L) poses with Tom Lizard as he arrives for the world premiere of Disney and Pixar's film 'Hoppers' at the El Capitan Theater in Los Angeles, California, USA, 23 February 2026. EPA/JILL CONNELLY
US actor Jon Hamm (L) poses with Tom Lizard as he arrives for the world premiere of Disney and Pixar's film 'Hoppers' at the El Capitan Theater in Los Angeles, California, USA, 23 February 2026. EPA/JILL CONNELLY
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Disney Pixar's 'Hoppers' Seeks to Turn Viral Meme Into Box Office Gold

US actor Jon Hamm (L) poses with Tom Lizard as he arrives for the world premiere of Disney and Pixar's film 'Hoppers' at the El Capitan Theater in Los Angeles, California, USA, 23 February 2026. EPA/JILL CONNELLY
US actor Jon Hamm (L) poses with Tom Lizard as he arrives for the world premiere of Disney and Pixar's film 'Hoppers' at the El Capitan Theater in Los Angeles, California, USA, 23 February 2026. EPA/JILL CONNELLY

Walt Disney's Pixar Animation Studios is hoping a viral meme featuring a googly-eyed lizard character from its new film, "Hoppers," translates into box office success when the movie opens this weekend in theaters.

The studio unwittingly spawned the social media hit when a 28-second clip of the goofy-looking sea-green reptile repeatedly tapping a glowing screen to trigger an automated voice that says "lizard" appeared in the end credits of another Pixar film, "Elio," released last June.

The clip went viral. It inspired music mixes to songs from Far East Movement and The Ting Tings on TikTok, a "Lizard Click" website with a button that repeats the word "lizard" in a robotic voice, and thousands of social media posts that, within two months, attracted some 316 million views, according to Disney.

"I don't know that you can ever predict these things. As soon as you try to make ⁠something go viral, ⁠that's like certain death," said Pixar's Chief Creative Officer Pete Docter. "We just thought it was funny. We thought this character is quirky and weird."

According to Reuters, Pixar quietly laid claim to the character in a social media post in August, simply saying, "his name is Tom."

"People fell in love with Tom the Lizard," said Martha Morrison, head of marketing for Walt Disney Studios. "Then, we were sort of figuring out when's the right time to identify that Tom the Lizard is part of our movie."

The film is about a young animal lover, Mabel, who uses new technology ⁠to "hop" her consciousness into a robotic beaver and communicate directly with animals.

While audiences have flocked to cinemas to see animated sequels, such as Disney’s “Zootopia 2,” which is approaching $2 billion in worldwide ticket sales, original films with unfamiliar characters and stories, like "Elio," have struggled at the box office, bringing in a modest $20.8 million on opening weekend.

"Hoppers" is on track to open to $35 to $40 million in the US and Canada, according to one estimate.

Original animation has always been a harder sell, but that's been particularly true since the COVID-19 outbreak, when Disney released animated films like “Soul,” “Luca” and “Turning Red” straight to its Disney+ streaming service.

Families got accustomed to seeing new animated films from the comfort of their own living rooms.

"You know, it's tough right now because people on the one hand say they want original stuff, but they, with their pocketbooks, kind of vote more for the ⁠sequels," said Docter. "I think what ⁠it is, you have to balance like stuff that people go, 'I recognize that, I see that in my own life, but it also feels like nothing I've ever seen before,' which is a really difficult needle to thread."

Tom Lizard has become an ambassador for "Hoppers," showing up in person at screenings, DJ-ing an event for social media influencers and photo-bombing ESPN broadcasts in San Francisco during Super Bowl week.

The appearances are part of a broader marketing push that includes advance screenings and sneak peeks, in addition to commercials that aired during the Super Bowl and the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics.

The goal is to be in as many places as possible, convey the film's unique brand of humor and create a sense of urgency for movie-goers to head to the theaters, said Morrison.

Box office analyst Paul Dergarabedian said "Hoppers" has received the best reviews for a Pixar movie in a decade.

"Original animated films such as 'Dog Man,' 'The Wild Robot' and most recently 'GOAT' have all done very well because they're actually good movies," said Dergarabedian. "That's a currency that can deliver dividends for the long term."

Entertainment

Sci-fi Without AI: Oscar Nominated 'Arco' Director Prefers Human Touch

French animation director Ugo Bienvenu says AI has no place in the process of artistic creation. Valerie MACON / AFP/File
French animation director Ugo Bienvenu says AI has no place in the process of artistic creation. Valerie MACON / AFP/File
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Sci-fi Without AI: Oscar Nominated 'Arco' Director Prefers Human Touch

French animation director Ugo Bienvenu says AI has no place in the process of artistic creation. Valerie MACON / AFP/File
French animation director Ugo Bienvenu says AI has no place in the process of artistic creation. Valerie MACON / AFP/File

Oscar-nominated animated film "Arco" tells the story of a young boy in a future where humanity lives in harmony with nature, far from the robots and artificial intelligence shaping our present.

For first-time director Ugo Bienvenu, who drew the whole film by hand, there was never any chance he would resort to using AI.

"That's why I make science fiction," the French director told AFP. "It was to say to this generation: 'Maybe there are other paths, maybe there are other things to imagine.'"

The graphic novel illustrator, 38, says he is alarmed by society's increasing dependence on artificial intelligence, which he insists is inferior to the things it is being used to replace.

"It's like wanting to saw off your own leg just because you have a great crutch," he said.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the body that will hand out the Oscars in Hollywood on March 15, last year updated its rules to say it was neutral on the technology.

"Generative Artificial Intelligence and other digital tools... neither help nor harm the chances of achieving a nomination," it said in April.

"The Academy and each branch will judge the achievement, taking into account the degree to which a human was at the heart of the creative authorship."

'Nobody really wants to use it'

The move came after a furor over the use of AI in best picture contenders "The Brutalist" -- where Adrien Brody's Hungarian accent was artificially smoothed out -- and "Dune: Part Two," in which certain characters had their eye color changed.

This season, two Oscar-eligible animated shorts openly acknowledged their use of AI, but did not get a nomination.

For Bienvenu, the reliance on AI in the creative process is dangerous because it risks allowing the imagination to wither.

"If we tell ourselves that the machine will do it for us, we never make the mistakes that allow us to access our subconscious" where true creativity lies, he said.

Bienvenu, who spoke to AFP on the sidelines of the Oscars nominees luncheon in Beverly Hills last month, said many conversations at the gathering had touched on the use of AI in filmmaking -- a key sticking point in the writers' and actors' strikes that crippled Hollywood in 2023.

"Everyone is more or less on the same page," he said. "Nobody really wants to use it."

'Human'

In January, more than 800 creatives, including actresses Scarlett Johansson and Cate Blanchett, as well as director Guillermo Del Toro, published an open letter accusing AI giants of "theft."

The Mexican filmmaker, whose "Frankenstein" is competing this year for the best picture Oscar, in 2022 said animation created by AI is an "insult to life itself."

Bienvenu shares that alarm.

"The real danger is that we... become weaker intellectually," he says.

"It's not about protecting our jobs, it's about what makes us human."

"Fiction is about sharing experiences," he says -- a process that helps us to be "emotionally prepared when something serious happens to us in life, so we don't fall apart."

Too much of modern life is dominated by machines that can only regurgitate what has come before, says Bienvenu.

"Today, there are people who wear clothes made by robots, and eat food made by robots — basically, they're the poor," he said.

"And now, this same group will be consuming fiction made by robots."

The massive companies that make AI do not pay the true cost of their product, Bienvenu says, and something must be done to level the playing field.

He suggests levying a tax on the huge volumes of water used by companies to cool their server farms, an amount one study published in December found exceeded the volume of bottled water consumed around the planet every year.

"AI isn't free," says Bienvenu.

"It has physical repercussions and impacts on our subconscious."