Blackwater court hearings to be closed

WASHINGTON, Oct. 14 (UPI) -- The public will not be able to attend a court hearing for five U.S. security contractors accused of killing 14 unarmed Iraqi civilians, a federal judge ruled.

U.S. District Judge Ricardo Urbina ruled Wednesday in Washington that a series of pretrial hearings for the Blackwater Worldwide security guards -- in which he will examine claims that that government is improperly using their own statements against them -- should be closed to avoid publicity that could taint a possible juror pool, The Washington Post reported.

Urbina also said he was concerned that open hearings would disclose grand jury material

The guards are charged with voluntary manslaughter and weapons violations in the killing of 14 civilians and the wounding 20 others, the newspaper said.

The hearings, expected to last until Friday, will center on the defense's contention that statements the guards gave to U.S. State Department investigators following the 2007 shootings in Baghdad were immunized.