Alec Baldwin 'Rust' Trial: Judge Issues Major Ruling in Actor's Favor

SANTA FE, New Mexico In an early legal victory for actor Alec Baldwin, the judge presiding over his involuntary manslaughter trial in New Mexico ruled Monday that prosecutors cannot present evidence of his status as a producer on the film “Rust.”

Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer granted the defense's request to bar the state from presenting testimony about how Baldwin's role as a producer of the Western film “Rust” allowed him to act recklessly and flout gun safety protocols.

“I have real difficulty with the state's position that as a producer he failed to follow the guidelines and therefore as an actor Mr. Baldwin did all these things wrong,” the judge said during a hearing in First Judicial District Court in Santa Fe. “The probative value is not substantially negated by unfair bias and confusion on the part of the jury.”

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New Mexico prosecutors say Alec Baldwin was “reckless” on the set of the movie “Rust.” (Santa Fe County Sheriff's Department/New Mexico Courts)

Baldwin accidentally fired a gun mistakenly loaded with a live round on the film's set in October 2021, killing cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and wounding director Joel Souza. He has pleaded not guilty.

The judge's decision was a blow to the prosecution. Baldwin, who was sitting at the defense table, did not respond to the decision.

Prosecutors argued that as the film's producer and the most senior member of the cast, he was ultimately responsible for the reckless behavior on set.

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Alec Baldwin arrives at the First Judicial District Court in Santa Fe, New Mexico, on Monday, July 8, 2024. (Derek Shook for Fox News Digital)

“The defendant’s role as a producer encouraged him, in the days leading up to October 21, 2021, to engage in behavior that endangered others, including Ms. Hutchins, by rushing crew members and demanding quick scene changes, which forced crew members to scramble,” Special Prosecutor Erlinda Johnson argued in court documents. “Mr. Baldwin’s role as a producer also made him acutely aware of his duties to follow established safety rules and conduct himself in an orderly manner on set.”

Johnson said Baldwin should have known he was being “reckless and reckless” when he pointed the gun at Hutchins.

Sommer's ruling also prevents prosecutors from introducing potentially unflattering videos of Baldwin lunging at his employees and barking orders at them.

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Aerial photo of the church where Halyna Hutchins was shot on the set of the movie “Rust.” (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)

Defense attorney Luke Nikas argued that Baldwin's role as a producer was irrelevant to the allegations against him and would only confuse the jury.

During a brief break after Sommer delivered her decision, special prosecutor Kari Morrissey downplayed the significance of the ruling and said she was not “particularly concerned.”

The judge ruled on more than two dozen motions Monday, dealing several blows to the defense.

Sommer told defense attorneys they would not be allowed to present the findings of an investigation by the New Mexico Office of Occupational Safety and Health, which primarily accused the film's management team of failing to follow national firearm safety protocols.

Nikas described the report as exonerating Baldwin.

Actor Alec Baldwin, right, sits in a First Judicial District courtroom in Santa Fe, New Mexico, next to attorney Alex Spiro for a preliminary hearing on Monday, July 8, 2024. (Luis Snchez Saturno/The New Mexican)

Over defense objections, the judge allows prosecutors to present graphic images of Hutchins' injuries and the chaotic aftermath of the shooting at trial.

Sommer ruled that evidence intended to show that Baldwin was remorseful and that the tragedy had impacted his family could not be presented.

The film's gunsmith, Hannah Gutierrez Reed, was convicted at trial on the same charge as Baldwin and is currently serving an 18-month prison sentence. She unknowingly loaded a live round into the revolver.

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Fox News Digital's Julia Bonavita contributed to this report.