'I Don't Know What Could Have Swayed Me': Juror in Alec Baldwin's Rust Trial Says Case Felt 'Very Silly'

A juror in Alec Baldwin's Rust trial is revealing what was going through her mind in the New Mexico courtroom.

The case against the actor and producer, 66, was dismissed on Friday, July 12, after his defense attorneys argued the prosecutors had buried evidence.

Baldwin was rehearsing a scene on the set of Rust in October 2021 when the gun he was holding discharged, killing cinematographerHalyna Hutchinsand injuring directorJoel Souza. Baldwin has insisted in interviews he did not pull the trigger of the gun or know why it contained live ammunition.

Gabriela Picayo, a scientist who served as juror No. 9 during the trial, told theNew York Timesthat as an actor, Baldwin should not have been expected to know a lot about gun safety, adding he instead should have trusted the experts on set.

“I think he would have trusted the people, you know, on the set to do their job," she said.

Additionally, Picayo reflected on finding out thatRustarmorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed was already convicted of involuntary manslaughter.

“I’m still here, I’m still open to hearing and obviously trying to stay unbiased,” Picayo told the Times, “but I was starting to move towards the direction of thinking that this was very silly and he should not be on trial.”

Still, while she leaned against convicting Baldwin following the trial's second day, she noted that she "wasn’t presented with all of the evidence, so I don’t know what could have swayed me."

Juror Johanna Haag also expressed doubts in the prosecution's case against Baldwin. (If the case hadn't been dismissed, all 12 jurors would've had to come to a unanimous decision on the verdict.)

“As the week went by, it just didn’t, it didn’t seem like a very strong case,” Haag, who served as juror No. 7 and works in the advertising and marketing field, told the Times.

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE's free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human-interest stories.

Specifically, Haag recalled the prosecution showing the jury emotional footage of the shooting aftermath, per law enforcement, a -

Is Lady Gaga Going to Perform at the Par,...

nd explained, Baldwin "looked shocked and stunned and so sad."

"It was clearly an accident, and the idea that there’s anything purposeful, or the idea that there was this grave carelessness that caused this, didn’t seem realistic to me," she added.

Baldwin's lawyer Luke Nikas said that "critical" evidence — namely, ammunition discovered by a man named Troy Teske (a friend Gutierrez-Reed's father) — "was never disclosed to us."

“At that point, I really started to feel sorry for Mr. Baldwin,” Haag told the Times. “I thought, you know, ‘What’s going on here? What is happening?’ ”

According to the outlet, jurors learned Baldwin's case was dismissed only after they were sent home, when they received a text from the court reading “Trail sic CANCELLED."

On July 12, the third day of Alec's involuntary manslaughter trial in New Mexico, Judge Mary Marlowe Sommerthrew out the case due to a late discovery of evidence. The actor, who was facing up to 18 months in prison if the jury had found him guilty,can't have the criminal charge brought against him againsince the case was dismissed with prejudice.

Days later, a source told PEOPLE that Baldwin and his wife Hilaria are "relieved that it's over." The pair cried while hugging one another in the courtroom directly after the judge's decision.

"It's been a sad situation, and there is no winning here. They didn't celebrate," the insider said. "They were very worried and are grateful now that they are able to spend the rest of the summer with their kids."

In an Instagram message posted July 13, Baldwin spoke out about the outcome in the case, writing, "There are too many people who have supported me to thank just now. To all of you, you will never know how much I appreciate your kindness toward my family."

An attorney for Gutierrez-Reed, who was sentenced to a maximum penalty of 18 months in prison, said in a statement after Baldwin's case was dismissed, "We will be filing an additional motion for Hannah’s release and to dismiss, in light of the judge’s extensive findings."

Related Articles

Follow Us

Carlos Marqués-Marcet Orchestrates a Del,...