Alec Baldwin 'Rust' trial: Judge makes major ruling in actor's favor

Alec Baldwin's legal team scored a victory Monday when a judge presiding over his New Mexico manslaughter trial ruled that prosecutors can't introduce evidence of his role as a producer on "Rust."

"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 these things wrong," the judge said at a hearing in Santa Fe's First Judicial District Court. "The probative value is not substantially outweighed by unfair prejudice and confusion to jurors." Rebecca Rosenberg is a veteran journalist and book author with a focus on crime and criminal justice. Email tips to rebecca.rosenberg@fox.com and @ReRosenberg.

Baldwin accidentally fired a gun that was 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.