Idaho murders suspect Bryan Kohberger is back in court for pre-trial hearings ahead of his summer murder trial for the brutal stabbing deaths of four University of Idaho students.

Hippler was appointed to oversee the trial, replacing Judge John Judge, when the trial moved from Latah County to Boise after the defense successfully argued that he would not have an impartial jury in the tight-knit community of Moscow because of the extensive media coverage potentially tainting the jury pool.

Defense and media argue for open hearing, but Hippler says his decision is meant to protect the jury pool from being prejudiced