The trial of actor Alec Baldwin for the shooting of a cinematographer is scheduled to begin today, Tuesday, with the selection of jurors who will be tasked with determining whether the actor is guilty of involuntary manslaughter or not.

Your service on the trial of such a huge star accused of committing such a major crime will be unusual even in Los Angeles or Baldwin's hometown of New York.

But it will essentially be an unheard-of experience for those selected as jurors in Santa Fe, New Mexico, although the state has increasingly become a hub for Hollywood production in recent years.

Baldwin, 66, could face up to 18 months in prison if jurors unanimously decide he committed a felony when a gun he was aiming at cinematographer Halyna Hutchins went off, resulting in her death and the wounding of director Joel Souza during a rehearsal for the Western film "Rust." in October 2021 at Bonanza Creek Ranch, about 18 miles (29 kilometers) from where the trial is taking place.

Baldwin has stated that the gun discharged accidentally after he followed instructions to point it at Hutchins, who was behind the camera, adding that he, not realizing the gun contained live ammunition, pulled the hammer - not the trigger - and fired.

The star of "30 Rock" and "The Hunt for Red October" made his court appearance on Monday when Judge Mary Marlow Summer ruled, in a big win for the defense, at a pretrial hearing that Baldwin's role as a producer on "Rust" was irrelevant to the trial.

The judge stated that the special circumstances of a celebrity trial should not hinder the jury selection process from moving quickly and that opening statements should begin on Wednesday.

Judge Marlow Summer added, "I'm not concerned about my ability to select a jury in one day." "I believe we will select a jury by the afternoon."

However, special prosecutor Kari Morrissey was skeptical that Baldwin's lawyers, whom she had clashed with in the lead-up to the trial, would make that possible.

Morrissey said at the hearing, "I don't think that's going to happen with this group of defense attorneys."

Baldwin's attorney Alex Spiro responded, "I have not selected a jury in one day. I can't imagine that this will be the first time."

Dozens of potential jurors will be brought into the courtroom for questioning on Tuesday morning. Cameras that will transmit the rest of the proceedings will be turned off to protect their privacy. Jurors are expected to deliberate on the case after a trial lasting nine days.

Lawyers will be able to request to dismiss jurors for conflicts or other reasons. The defense under state law can dismiss up to five jurors without stating reasons, and the prosecution can dismiss three. Additional challenges will be allowed when selecting four alternate jurors.

Before Judge Marlow Summer's ruling on Monday, prosecutors had hoped to highlight Baldwin's safety obligations on set as a co-producer to bolster an alternative theory of culpability beyond his alleged use of a firearm. They aimed to connect Baldwin's behavior to "complete disregard or indifference to the safety of others" under involuntary manslaughter law.

But prosecutors achieved other victories on Monday. They successfully argued to exclude summary findings from state workplace safety investigations, which placed much of the blame on the film's assistant director, shifting the error away from Baldwin.

The judge ruled that they could present graphic images from Hutchins' autopsy and from police body cameras during the treatment of her injuries.