'Rust' Special Prosecutor Steps Down After Alec Baldwin’s Legal Team's Scathing Filing

Alec Baldwin’s legal team is coming after “Rust” prosecutors.

In court docs obtained by “Extra,” the prosecutors of the case are being accused of “abuse.”

The docs also argued that some of the arguments made by prosecutors are “appalling.”

The filing included a claim that special prosecutor Kari T. Morrissey provided “prejudicial” instructions to the grand jury, which led to the indictment of Baldwin.

His attorneys claim that the state “ensured that the grand jury would have no access to Baldwin’s exculpatory witnesses or exculpatory evidence.”

Though the prosecutors called the new claims “patently false,” special prosecutor Jason J. Lewis has just requested to step down from the case.

A source with knowledge of the prosecution's case told "Extra," "After Alec's attorney filing, there was infighting at the DA's office resulting in [Lewis] stepping down."

Morrissey told People magazine, “We stand by the statements and arguments in our response. The grand jury presentation was conducted in strict compliance with the Court’s order.”

Baldwin’s latest filing also slammed prosecutors for rescinding a plea deal that was offered to Baldwin, calling it “stunning abuse of prosecutorial power.”

In a recent filing, Morrissey explained that she rescinded the offer after hearing that Baldwin was allegedly planning to make a documentary about the tragedy.

Baldwin’s team denies the documentary claims, arguing, “Morrissey’s stated reason for rescinding Baldwin’s plea offer is a completely inappropriate basis for prosecutorial action and alone demonstrated her bad faith.”

According to Baldwin’s team, their motion to dismiss the case “raises serious legal issues, makes serious legal arguments that are supported by binding legal precedents, and carries serious legal consequences — not only for Alec Baldwin but for all New Mexico citizens.”

“The motion therefore deserved a serious response addressing Baldwin’s arguments about the State’s misconduct in the grand jury proceeding,” the docs stated. “Instead, the State responded with a 32-page jeremiad against Baldwin and his lawyers that does not cite a single legal decision, does not distinguish Baldwin’s authorities, and spends no more than five pages addressing the core legal issues raised in Baldwin’s motion.”

“This fact bears repeating: the State does not cite a single legal decision in its entire brief. Literally. A legal brief without any legal authority is not worth the paper it’s written on,” the filing emphasized. “Unfortunately, that is no surprise: for Special Prosecutor Kari Morrissey, prosecuting Alec Baldwin has never been about the law. It is, in her words, about using the justice system to ‘humble’ an ‘arrogant’ celebrity that she dislikes. The State’s ‘opposition’ should be rejected, and Baldwin’s motion should be granted.”

In July, Baldwin is set to be tried on an involuntary manslaughter charge in connection with the accidental death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins during the filming of “Rust” in 2021.