Celebrity Celebrity Legal & Lawsuits Alec Baldwin Smiles as He Steps Out for Dinner with Family After Rust Case Dismissal After Baldwin's defense attorneys argued prosecutors had buried evidence, the judge in the case dropped the involuntary manslaughter charge on July 12 By Escher Walcott Escher Walcott Escher Walcott is a Writer/Reporter at PEOPLE, covering stories in Entertainment, Style, Human Interest.She joins having written for several popular news publications, including Glamour, Refinery29, NYLON and Evening Standard, discussing the latest fashion trends, pop culture news, and pressing social matters. People Editorial Guidelines Published on July 13, 2024 11:55AM EDT Close Stephen Baldwin (L) and Alec Baldwin in Santa Fe on July 12. Photo: SplashNews.com Alec Baldwin is celebrating his court victory with his loved ones. The actor, 66, appeared in happy spirits as he headed out to dinner with family and friends on Friday, July 12 following the dismissal of his Rust case and involuntary manslaughter charge in a Santa Fe, New Mexico court the same day. In photographs, Baldwin was seen smiling during the outing as he was joined by his brother Stephen Baldwin, sister Beth Keuchler and a group of friends following the results of the case as they made their way to New Mexican restaurant Casa Chimayo. Earlier on Friday, Alec was seen bursting into tears in court as he was told his involuntary manslaughter charge in the case over the 2021 fatal on-set shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the Western movie Rust was dropped after his defense attorneys argued the prosecutors had buried evidence. Alec previously faced up to 18 months in prison if found guilty of the charge. Alec Baldwin smiles while heading to dinner with his siblings and friends in Santa Fe on Friday, July 12 after his 'Rust' case was dismissed by the judge the same day. SplashNews.com Alec Baldwin Cries as Judge Dismisses Rust Case in Shocking Twist Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer explained her decision to dismiss the case with prejudice: “The late discovery of this evidence during trial has impeded the effective use of evidence in such a way that it has impacted the fundamental fairness of the proceedings.” Following his tearful reaction to the dismissal verdict, Alec turned around in court to hug his wife Hilaria, 40, who was also emotional at the outcome. Alec was charged in January over the 2021 Rust incident, after a prop gun he was holding discharged during a scene he was rehearsing on the set of the movie, killing Hutchins and injuring director Joel Souza. The actor has insisted in interviews he did not pull the trigger of the gun or know why it contained live ammunition. During the trial on Friday, Alec's attorney Luke Nikas asked for the case against his client to be dropped as he alleged that prosecutors held onto evidence that could have assisted in explaining how live ammunition was brought on to the set of Rust in 2021. A smiling Alec Baldwin heads to dinner with his siblings and friends in Santa Fe on Friday July 12, the same day his 'Rust' case was dismissed by the judge. SplashNews.com Can Alec Baldwin Be Charged with Involuntary Manslaughter Again After Rust Case Dismissal? A man named Troy Teske, a friend of Thell Reed, the father of convicted Rust armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed was claimed by Alec's lawyers to have turned over ammunition he thought was connected to the case to authorities. “We’re talking about a prosecution that didn’t preserve those bullets, that didn’t collect them at all. That didn’t turn them over,” Nikas said. “This is critical evidence in the case that was never disclosed to us … We were entitled to it. This case should be dismissed, Your Honor.” Alec's 'Rust' case was dismissed by a judge in court on July 12 (pictured with his wife Hilaria during the trial). Ramsay de Give-Pool/Getty Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer , from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Corporal Alexandria Hancock of the Santa Fe Sheriff's Office later admitted that the ammunition Teske handed over was filed separately from the other Rust evidence. She also said prosecutor Kari T. Morrissey was involved in talks to file them separately. Morrissey then testified under oath, explaining that she didn’t think the ammunition was considered Rust evidence. Judge Sommer issued her ruling shortly after Morrissey's testimony. Alec's outing with his family following the dismissal of the case comes after Stephen, 58, Keuchler, 69, and Hilaria supported the actor in court earlier in the week, also appearing at the First Judicial District Court on Wednesday, July 10.