A New Mexico judge has decided actor Alec Baldwin's role as co-producer is not relevant to the involuntary manslaughter trial over a fatal shooting on the set of the Rust film.
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Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer ruled that evidence will not be allowed at trial about Baldwin's secondary role on the movie, siding with defence lawyers.
"I'm having real difficulty with the state's position that they want to show that as a producer he didn't follow guidelines and therefore as an actor Mr Baldwin did all of these things wrong that resulted in the death of Ms Hutchins because as a producer he allowed these things to happen," Marlowe Sommer said.
"I'm denying evidence of his status as a producer."
Special prosecutor Erlinda Johnson argued unsuccessfully to allow evidence that Baldwin's "role as a producer made him keenly aware of his responsibilities on set" for safety.
"It goes to Mr Baldwin's knowledge, knowing that his conduct on set was negligent," she said.
In the courtroom on Monday, Baldwin sat between lead lawyers Luke Nikas and Alex Spiro.
He thumbed briefly through papers with a yellow legal pad in front of him, wearing glasses and close-cropped hair.
The trial starts on July 9 with jury selection and is scheduled to last 10 days.
Last week, the judge cleared the way for crucial firearms experts for the prosecution to testify about Baldwin's handling of the revolver and whether the gun was functioning properly prior to the fatal shooting.
Prosecutors have argued that a state workplace safety investigation, which found serious violations on set, was incomplete, untrustworthy and should be prohibited from the trial.
Baldwin is charged with a single felony count of involuntary manslaughter punishable by up to 18 months in prison if he is convicted.
Australian Associated Press
