Judge bars press from boy's hearing

Mower County Court Judge Paul Kimball Jr. has ruled that the press may not attend a pretrial hearing to determine whether a 14-year-old will stand trial as an adult for the August shooting death of a Lyle, Minn., school teacher.

Kimball said hearsay evidence, "police investigation reports and psychological and psychiatric evaluations of the boy" would be presented at the adult reference hearing.

"To allow public consumption of these materials which would not be in evidence at the final hearing or trial scenes, seems to this court, to be highly prejudicial to the welfare of both the child and ultimate fair trial that justice dictates," Kimball said.

An attorney for the Minneapolis Star and Tribune had argued against a defense motion on Monday to bar the press from the reference hearing.

The newspaper will not appeal the ruling.