Judge rules Alec Baldwin’s co-producer role irrelevant in Rust film set shooting

Prosecutor's claim that role made actor keenly aware' of safety responsibilities is denied by judge at pre-trial hearing

A New Mexico judge decided on Monday that the 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 western film Rust.

The judge Mary Marlowe Sommer ruled that evidence would not be allowed at trial about Baldwin's secondary role on the movie, siding with defense attorneys.

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."

The 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.

Baldwin sat between his lead attorneys Luke Nikas and Alex Spiro, with a yellow legal pad on the table in front of him.