New Mexico
Malicious prosecution lawsuit by Alec Baldwin in ‘Rust’ shooting moves to federal court
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A lawsuit by actor Alec Baldwin alleging malicious prosecution in the 2021 fatal shooting of a cinematographer on the set of the Western movie “Rust” has been reinstated and moved to federal court by the defendants.
Baldwin initially filed the lawsuit in state court in January, claiming civil rights violations and seeking damages after a charge of involuntary manslaughter against the actor was dismissed at trial in 2024 on allegations that police and prosecutors withheld evidence from the defense.
A petition to move the malicious prosecution case to federal court was filed Monday by the defendants — special prosecutor Kari Morrissey and Santa Fe District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies, along with three investigators from the Santa Fe County sheriff’s office and the county board of commissioners.
The change of court venue raises the stakes in Baldwin’s yearslong conflict with New Mexico authorities.
Baldwin, the lead actor and co-producer for “Rust,” was pointing a gun at cinematographer Halyna Hutchins during a rehearsal on a movie set outside Santa Fe in October 2021 when the revolver went off, killing Hutchins and wounding director Joel Souza.
Baldwin has said he pulled back the hammer — but not the trigger — and the revolver fired.
Few people testified at Baldwin’s July trial before it was upended by revelations that ammunition was brought into the Santa Fe County sheriff’s office in March 2024 by a man who said it could be related to Hutchins’ killing.
Prosecutors said they deemed the ammo unrelated and unimportant, while Baldwin’s lawyers say investigators “buried” the evidence in a separate case file and filed a successful motion to dismiss. A judge threw out the charge against Baldwin and later refused a request from prosecutors to reconsider.
“Rust” movie weapons supervisor Hannah Gutierrez-Reed has fulfilled a 1.5 year prison sentence on an involuntary manslaughter conviction in Hutchins’ death in a jury trial. An appeal of the conviction to a higher court has been initiated.
“Rust” assistant director David Halls pleaded no contest to unsafe handling of a firearm and was sentenced to six months of probation.
A settlement agreement was reached in 2022 in a wrongful-death lawsuit against Baldwin and other “Rust” producers by Matthew Hutchins, widower of Halyna Hutchins, and their son.
But the parents and younger sister of Hutchins are still pursuing damages and compensation from Baldwin and “Rust” producers in New Mexico civil court. Those claims could result in a deposition by Baldwin under oath in November, according to recent court documents.
The allegations in Baldwin’s tort claim include defamation, with his attorneys saying that prosecutors and investigators targeted the actor and co-producer for professional or political gain.
Defendants say it is a matter for federal authorities to resolve under terms of the Constitution and other U.S. laws.
Baldwin’s lawsuit for damages initially lingered with little activity. It was dismissed in July, only to be reinstated in September at Baldwin’s request. Attorneys for Baldwin say they have approached state and county officials about the prospects for a settlement.
Michigan
St. Clair Shores man sentenced for double voting
On Wednesday, Frank Prezzato, 69, of St. Clair Shores, was sentenced to six months’ delayed probation after pleading guilty in September to one count of Voting Absentee and In-Person, announced Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel. Prezzato previously acknowledged that he acted recklessly in voting twice during the same election.
“Voting twice undermines our democratic process,” said Nessel at the time of the plea. “My office will continue to prosecute those who violate our voting laws to ensure Michigan voters have confidence in the integrity of our elections.”
Prezzato appeared in person at his local polling location on Election Day in St. Clair Shores, requesting and voting a ballot in the August 2024 Primary Election, despite having returned an absentee ballot for the same election. He voted both in-person and absentee, and both votes were counted in the primary election. Prezzato was charged with one count of Voting Absentee and In-Person and one count of Offering to Vote More Than Once in October 2024.
If Prezzato successfully meets all terms and conditions of the probation, all charges will be dismissed with prejudice at the end of the probationary period. A delayed sentence review is scheduled for April 15, 2026, in the 16th Circuit Court in Macomb County.
Michigan
Mount Clemens man convicted of arson, first-degree animal torture/killing
Macomb County Prosecutor Peter J. Lucido announced Wednesday that 30-year-old Jesse Humphrey was convicted by a jury on all charges related to him starting a fire at his girlfriend’s home in Warren in September 2024, destroying the home and killing her two cats. His girlfriend was not home at the time, but he knew that her cats were in the building when he set it on fire.
On Oct. 22, 2025, after a five-day jury trial conducted by Assistant Prosecuting Attorneys Maria Panchenko and Juliane Beslic, a jury convicted Humphrey on two counts of Second-Degree Arson, each a 20-year felony, and two counts of Animals – Killing/Torturing – First Degree, each a 10-year felony.
Humphrey was remanded to custody to await his sentencing. The sentencing is set for Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025, at 8:30 a.m. before Macomb County Circuit Court Judge Joseph Toia.
Humphrey was originally charged with two counts of Second-Degree Arson and one count of Killing Animals in the Third Degree, a four-year felony. Following his Preliminary Examination and subsequent legal filings, Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Panchenko successfully moved to have the animal-killing charge amended to the enhanced offense of First-Degree Killing/Torturing of Animals and secured the addition of an extra count for the second cat.
“Arson is a despicable crime. Depriving a person of all of their possessions is incredibly cold-hearted, in addition to the horrific danger to neighbors and firefighters. Even worse is committing arson knowing that living animals, a person’s beloved pets are in the building. I am proud of my assistant prosecutors who achieved justice for the victim and the cats.” Macomb County Prosecutor Peter J. Lucido said.
New York
Ex-state trooper sentenced to 6 months for faking his own shooting
MINEOLA, N.Y. (AP) — A former New York state trooper who shot himself, then falsely claimed he was wounded by an unknown gunman on a Long Island highway, sparking a regionwide search, was sentenced to six months in jail on Wednesday.
Thomas Mascia was also given five years of probation and ordered to undergo mental health treatment and pay nearly $290,000 in restitution in Nassau County court in Mineola.
Mascia pleaded guilty in May to falsely reporting an incident, tampering with physical evidence and official misconduct. He resigned in January after being suspended without pay while state police launched a criminal investigation into the shooting.
Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly called the former officer’s actions “disgraceful.”
“His lies wasted hundreds of hours of law enforcement manpower, deeply cost taxpayers in Nassau County, and betrayed the public’s trust of those in uniform,” she said in a statement after the sentencing.
Mascia claimed he was shot in the leg on Oct. 30, 2024, by a driver while parked on the shoulder of the Southern State Parkway, about a mile from his home. He described the fictitious driver as a “dark-skinned” man who fled in a car bearing temporary New Jersey plates heading toward New York City.
Instead, prosecutors say, Mascia staged the scene of the alleged shooting by scattering shell casings, then shot himself at a park, stashed the .22-caliber rifle, drove back to the highway and called for backup.
Jeffrey Lichtman, who represents Mascia and his parents, said in an email that the former trooper is “mortified by his actions and happy to finally get on with his life.”
He’s previously said Mascia, who became a trooper in 2019, was suffering from an undiagnosed mental health problem at the time of the shooting and has been undergoing treatment.
Mascia’s parents had also pleaded guilty to possessing an illegal firearm, which was found during a search of the family’s home.
Thomas A. Mascia, the defendant’s father, was sentenced to five years of probation Wednesday. Dorothy Mascia was given a one-year conditional discharge.
Vermont
Judge finds suspect in arson at Bernie Sanders’ office unable to assist in defense
A federal judge has found a former California man accused of setting a fire outside the Burlington office of U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders in 2024 not competent to assist in his defense.
Judge William K. Sessions III wrote in a ruling last week that 36-year-old Shant Soghomonian, who has been detained since his arrest days after the incident, would remain in federal custody.
The judge added that, while in custody, Soghomonian shall receive treatment in a “suitable facility for a reasonable period of time, not to exceed four months” to determine whether “he will attain capacity to permit the proceeding to go forward.”
Sessions wrote that the director at the facility treating Soghomonian will file a report “detailing the status of treatment and probability of improvement.”
Then, the judge wrote, he will review that report to decide how to move forward in the case.
At this point, Sessions wrote, Soghomonian is unable to assist properly in his defense.
Soghomonian was accused of setting fire to the entryway leading to Sanders’ office in the historic downtown building on Church Street on April 5, 2024.
The independent senator was not in the office at the time, and none of his seven staffers who were in the building was physically injured, according to court records.
The building, which also housed businesses including a law firm and bank, sustained water damage, and the door leading to the senator’s office was charred, the court documents stated.
Soghomonian, who in the past had lived in California, had been renting rooms in hotels around Chittenden County in the days leading up to the fire, according to court records.
Sessions, in his ruling, wrote that he relied on reviews of Soghomonian by mental health experts in finding him not competent to assist in his own defense.
The judge also wrote that Soghomonian made statements in court during an earlier hearing that the federal public defender’s office as well as prosecutors were “suppressing the truth” and that officials were covering up violence and terror from the government.
“He is too suspicious of the legal proceedings and his own defense counsel to assist properly in his own defense,” Sessions wrote.
At a hearing in the case in federal court in Burlington in August, Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Lasher, a prosecutor, argued that Soghomonian was not competent, while Charles Curlett Jr., representing Soghomonian, contended that his client was competent.
Sessions took the matter under advisement, leading to his written ruling last week.
Malicious prosecution lawsuit by Alec Baldwin in ‘Rust’ shooting moves to federal court
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A lawsuit by actor Alec Baldwin alleging malicious prosecution in the 2021 fatal shooting of a cinematographer on the set of the Western movie “Rust” has been reinstated and moved to federal court by the defendants.
Baldwin initially filed the lawsuit in state court in January, claiming civil rights violations and seeking damages after a charge of involuntary manslaughter against the actor was dismissed at trial in 2024 on allegations that police and prosecutors withheld evidence from the defense.
A petition to move the malicious prosecution case to federal court was filed Monday by the defendants — special prosecutor Kari Morrissey and Santa Fe District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies, along with three investigators from the Santa Fe County sheriff’s office and the county board of commissioners.
The change of court venue raises the stakes in Baldwin’s yearslong conflict with New Mexico authorities.
Baldwin, the lead actor and co-producer for “Rust,” was pointing a gun at cinematographer Halyna Hutchins during a rehearsal on a movie set outside Santa Fe in October 2021 when the revolver went off, killing Hutchins and wounding director Joel Souza.
Baldwin has said he pulled back the hammer — but not the trigger — and the revolver fired.
Few people testified at Baldwin’s July trial before it was upended by revelations that ammunition was brought into the Santa Fe County sheriff’s office in March 2024 by a man who said it could be related to Hutchins’ killing.
Prosecutors said they deemed the ammo unrelated and unimportant, while Baldwin’s lawyers say investigators “buried” the evidence in a separate case file and filed a successful motion to dismiss. A judge threw out the charge against Baldwin and later refused a request from prosecutors to reconsider.
“Rust” movie weapons supervisor Hannah Gutierrez-Reed has fulfilled a 1.5 year prison sentence on an involuntary manslaughter conviction in Hutchins’ death in a jury trial. An appeal of the conviction to a higher court has been initiated.
“Rust” assistant director David Halls pleaded no contest to unsafe handling of a firearm and was sentenced to six months of probation.
A settlement agreement was reached in 2022 in a wrongful-death lawsuit against Baldwin and other “Rust” producers by Matthew Hutchins, widower of Halyna Hutchins, and their son.
But the parents and younger sister of Hutchins are still pursuing damages and compensation from Baldwin and “Rust” producers in New Mexico civil court. Those claims could result in a deposition by Baldwin under oath in November, according to recent court documents.
The allegations in Baldwin’s tort claim include defamation, with his attorneys saying that prosecutors and investigators targeted the actor and co-producer for professional or political gain.
Defendants say it is a matter for federal authorities to resolve under terms of the Constitution and other U.S. laws.
Baldwin’s lawsuit for damages initially lingered with little activity. It was dismissed in July, only to be reinstated in September at Baldwin’s request. Attorneys for Baldwin say they have approached state and county officials about the prospects for a settlement.
Michigan
St. Clair Shores man sentenced for double voting
On Wednesday, Frank Prezzato, 69, of St. Clair Shores, was sentenced to six months’ delayed probation after pleading guilty in September to one count of Voting Absentee and In-Person, announced Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel. Prezzato previously acknowledged that he acted recklessly in voting twice during the same election.
“Voting twice undermines our democratic process,” said Nessel at the time of the plea. “My office will continue to prosecute those who violate our voting laws to ensure Michigan voters have confidence in the integrity of our elections.”
Prezzato appeared in person at his local polling location on Election Day in St. Clair Shores, requesting and voting a ballot in the August 2024 Primary Election, despite having returned an absentee ballot for the same election. He voted both in-person and absentee, and both votes were counted in the primary election. Prezzato was charged with one count of Voting Absentee and In-Person and one count of Offering to Vote More Than Once in October 2024.
If Prezzato successfully meets all terms and conditions of the probation, all charges will be dismissed with prejudice at the end of the probationary period. A delayed sentence review is scheduled for April 15, 2026, in the 16th Circuit Court in Macomb County.
Michigan
Mount Clemens man convicted of arson, first-degree animal torture/killing
Macomb County Prosecutor Peter J. Lucido announced Wednesday that 30-year-old Jesse Humphrey was convicted by a jury on all charges related to him starting a fire at his girlfriend’s home in Warren in September 2024, destroying the home and killing her two cats. His girlfriend was not home at the time, but he knew that her cats were in the building when he set it on fire.
On Oct. 22, 2025, after a five-day jury trial conducted by Assistant Prosecuting Attorneys Maria Panchenko and Juliane Beslic, a jury convicted Humphrey on two counts of Second-Degree Arson, each a 20-year felony, and two counts of Animals – Killing/Torturing – First Degree, each a 10-year felony.
Humphrey was remanded to custody to await his sentencing. The sentencing is set for Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025, at 8:30 a.m. before Macomb County Circuit Court Judge Joseph Toia.
Humphrey was originally charged with two counts of Second-Degree Arson and one count of Killing Animals in the Third Degree, a four-year felony. Following his Preliminary Examination and subsequent legal filings, Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Panchenko successfully moved to have the animal-killing charge amended to the enhanced offense of First-Degree Killing/Torturing of Animals and secured the addition of an extra count for the second cat.
“Arson is a despicable crime. Depriving a person of all of their possessions is incredibly cold-hearted, in addition to the horrific danger to neighbors and firefighters. Even worse is committing arson knowing that living animals, a person’s beloved pets are in the building. I am proud of my assistant prosecutors who achieved justice for the victim and the cats.” Macomb County Prosecutor Peter J. Lucido said.
New York
Ex-state trooper sentenced to 6 months for faking his own shooting
MINEOLA, N.Y. (AP) — A former New York state trooper who shot himself, then falsely claimed he was wounded by an unknown gunman on a Long Island highway, sparking a regionwide search, was sentenced to six months in jail on Wednesday.
Thomas Mascia was also given five years of probation and ordered to undergo mental health treatment and pay nearly $290,000 in restitution in Nassau County court in Mineola.
Mascia pleaded guilty in May to falsely reporting an incident, tampering with physical evidence and official misconduct. He resigned in January after being suspended without pay while state police launched a criminal investigation into the shooting.
Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly called the former officer’s actions “disgraceful.”
“His lies wasted hundreds of hours of law enforcement manpower, deeply cost taxpayers in Nassau County, and betrayed the public’s trust of those in uniform,” she said in a statement after the sentencing.
Mascia claimed he was shot in the leg on Oct. 30, 2024, by a driver while parked on the shoulder of the Southern State Parkway, about a mile from his home. He described the fictitious driver as a “dark-skinned” man who fled in a car bearing temporary New Jersey plates heading toward New York City.
Instead, prosecutors say, Mascia staged the scene of the alleged shooting by scattering shell casings, then shot himself at a park, stashed the .22-caliber rifle, drove back to the highway and called for backup.
Jeffrey Lichtman, who represents Mascia and his parents, said in an email that the former trooper is “mortified by his actions and happy to finally get on with his life.”
He’s previously said Mascia, who became a trooper in 2019, was suffering from an undiagnosed mental health problem at the time of the shooting and has been undergoing treatment.
Mascia’s parents had also pleaded guilty to possessing an illegal firearm, which was found during a search of the family’s home.
Thomas A. Mascia, the defendant’s father, was sentenced to five years of probation Wednesday. Dorothy Mascia was given a one-year conditional discharge.
Vermont
Judge finds suspect in arson at Bernie Sanders’ office unable to assist in defense
A federal judge has found a former California man accused of setting a fire outside the Burlington office of U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders in 2024 not competent to assist in his defense.
Judge William K. Sessions III wrote in a ruling last week that 36-year-old Shant Soghomonian, who has been detained since his arrest days after the incident, would remain in federal custody.
The judge added that, while in custody, Soghomonian shall receive treatment in a “suitable facility for a reasonable period of time, not to exceed four months” to determine whether “he will attain capacity to permit the proceeding to go forward.”
Sessions wrote that the director at the facility treating Soghomonian will file a report “detailing the status of treatment and probability of improvement.”
Then, the judge wrote, he will review that report to decide how to move forward in the case.
At this point, Sessions wrote, Soghomonian is unable to assist properly in his defense.
Soghomonian was accused of setting fire to the entryway leading to Sanders’ office in the historic downtown building on Church Street on April 5, 2024.
The independent senator was not in the office at the time, and none of his seven staffers who were in the building was physically injured, according to court records.
The building, which also housed businesses including a law firm and bank, sustained water damage, and the door leading to the senator’s office was charred, the court documents stated.
Soghomonian, who in the past had lived in California, had been renting rooms in hotels around Chittenden County in the days leading up to the fire, according to court records.
Sessions, in his ruling, wrote that he relied on reviews of Soghomonian by mental health experts in finding him not competent to assist in his own defense.
The judge also wrote that Soghomonian made statements in court during an earlier hearing that the federal public defender’s office as well as prosecutors were “suppressing the truth” and that officials were covering up violence and terror from the government.
“He is too suspicious of the legal proceedings and his own defense counsel to assist properly in his own defense,” Sessions wrote.
At a hearing in the case in federal court in Burlington in August, Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Lasher, a prosecutor, argued that Soghomonian was not competent, while Charles Curlett Jr., representing Soghomonian, contended that his client was competent.
Sessions took the matter under advisement, leading to his written ruling last week.
