A New Mexico state district judge who presided over the widely publicized trial of actor Alec Baldwin for a fatal movie set shooting is getting ready to retire from the bench.
Court administrators announced Mary Marlowe Sommer’s upcoming retirement on Thursday. She will step down at the end of May after serving 15 years on the First Judicial District Court in Santa Fe, New Mexico. She served as the district’s chief judge from 2019 to 2022.
Her decades-long career also includes work as a law clerk, a defense attorney, an assistant attorney general and a hearing officer who has handled thousands of cases involving domestic violence and family matters.
Marlowe Sommer said it’s been an honor and privilege to serve but that it’s time to step away from what she called “the hectic schedule of court business.”
“During my time on the bench, I have admired and deeply appreciated those who work so hard each day to ensure the court delivers the fair and timely justice that people are entitled to in our legal system,” she said in a statement.
Last summer, Marlowe Sommer dismissed a charge of involuntary manslaughter against Baldwin in the October 2021 death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins during a rehearsal for the movie “Rust” at a film-set ranch on the outskirts of Santa Fe.
Baldwin, the lead actor and co-producer, was pointing a pistol at Hutchins when it fired, killing Hutchins and wounding director Joel Souza. Baldwin has said he pulled back the hammer — but not the trigger — and the revolver fired.
The trial was upended by revelations that ammunition was brought into the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office 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 folder and filed a successful motion to dismiss the case.
Baldwin then filed a civil lawsuit for malicious prosecution and civil rights violation.
Separately, the shooting led to an involuntary manslaughter conviction against movie weapons supervisor Hannah Gutierrez-Reed. Marlowe Sommer also presided over that case.
Current Chief Judge Bryan Biedscheid said Marlowe Sommer has served with distinction, integrity and an unswerving commitment to the rule of law.
In all, court administrators say Marlowe Sommer has presided over about 21,600 cases during her tenure, starting with family, abuse and neglect, and juvenile delinquency cases. She began taking on criminal cases in 2012, with the most notable being that of Baldwin and Gutierrez-Reed.
She also presided over the child molestation cases of former teacher Gary Gregor, and the trial of Jeannine Jaramillo, who killed a police officer and retired firefighter during a wrong-way crash while attempting to evade law enforcement.
Marlowe Sommer’s term was set to expire in 2028. A judicial nominating commission will consider applicants for the vacancy and recommend to the governor for an appointment to serve the remainder of the term.
