Closed Hearing Being Held in Charleston Church Shooting

CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) – A federal judge is holding a closed hearing in South Carolina on evidence in Dylann Roof’s trial in the Charleston church shootings.
The 22-year-old Roof is facing hate crime and other federal charges in the June 2015 shootings at Emanuel AME Church in which nine black parishioners were killed.
His defense attorneys want some evidence kept out of the trial and a hearing is set for Thursday. U.S. District Judge Richard Gergel heard objections Wednesday from media attorneys opposed to closing the hearing.
Gergel ruled later that an open hearing could compromise Roof’s ability to receive a fair trial. He said it was one of the rare cases where a defendant’s right to a fair trial outweighs the right of the press and public to court access.