Special prosecutor Andrea Reeb has stepped down from the “Rust” movie set case against Alec Baldwin, as announced in a statement shared by the office of New Mexico’s First Judicial District Attorney.

The decision came after Baldwin’s lawyer filed a motion to have Reeb removed from the case, arguing that Reeb could not simultaneously serve as a member of the New Mexico House of Representatives and as the special prosecutor.

“After much reflection, I have made the difficult decision to step down as special prosecutor in the ‘Rust’ case.”

“My priority in this case—and in every case I’ve prosecuted in my 25-year career—has been justice for the victim,” the statement continued. “However, it has become clear that the best way I can ensure justice is served in this case is to step down so that the prosecution can focus on the evidence and the facts, which clearly show a complete disregard for basic safety protocols led to the death of Halyna Hutchins. I will not allow questions about my serving as a legislator and prosecutor to cloud the real issue at hand.”

Andrea Reeb has stepped down as special prosecutor. See her full statement on Facebook.

I have no further comment at this time.

— MaryCarmackAltwies (@MaryCarmackAltw) March 15, 2023

Baldwin has been charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter in connection with the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the “Rust” movie set last October.

Reeb stated that her decision to step down was made after much reflection and a commitment to justice for the victim, as well as a desire to avoid questions about her serving as a legislator and prosecutor from clouding the real issue at hand, Reuters reports.

She emphasized that the prosecution needed to focus on the evidence and facts, which show that a complete disregard for basic safety protocols led to Hutchins’ death.

Baldwin has previously denied pulling the trigger and pleaded not guilty to the charges. Last month, Reeb dropped a firearms sentencing enhancement against Baldwin and former “Rust” armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed because the law that allowed for the enhancements was not applicable at the time of the shooting. This helped the filmmakers avoid years in prison if convicted.

Baldwin faces up to 18 months in jail if found guilty, while Gutierrez-Reed has also been charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter but has not yet entered a plea.

Earlier this year, Rust’s first assistant director David Halls pleaded guilty to negligent use of a deadly weapon and received a suspended six-month sentence of unsupervised probation.