NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- A judge denied a motion by media outlets who sought to open court for next week's trial involving New Orleans Saints and Pelicans owner Tom Benson and his estranged heirs.
Judge Kern Reese, who ruled Friday in New Orleans civil court, said he carefully weighed the public's constitutional right to access the court room against the 87-year-old Benson's privacy rights regarding his medical history.
''If Mr. Benson had brought forward the case and was seeking damages from this court, then that would surely be a public proceeding,'' Reese said. ''He is the defendant in the case and is having his health and his volition called into question.