Judge declines to dismiss suit against Alec Baldwin and 'Rust' producers

A New Mexico judge has rejected a bid from actor Alec Baldwin's legal team to dismiss a lawsuit from crewmembers working on "Rust" who sued the actor and the film's producers, alleging that the cast and crew had been endangered due to cost-cutting measures.

The film has faced considerable production delays and legal hurdles since the 2021 death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, whom Baldwin accidentally shot while on set.

Chief District Judge Bryan Biedscheid issued the ruling and refused to delay proceedings as well, despite claims from Baldwin's team that he would have to invoke the 5th Amendment due to fears anything he says in the civil case could be used against him in a possible criminal case, according to the Associated Press.

"So what’s going to happen is Mr. Baldwin is going to assert his 5th Amendment rights and the plaintiffs are not going to get any discovery in the meantime," Baldwin's attorney told the judge. Prosecutors have not indicated when they will announce charging decisions against the actor.

Work resumed on the film in late 2022 after Baldwin managed to settle a suit from Hutchins' widower, Matthew, who has since signed on as an executive producer.

Ben Whedon is an editor and reporter for Just the News. Follow him on Twitter.