PITTSBURGH The preliminary hearing for a man accused of fatally shooting three Pittsburgh police officers was ordered moved to an Allegheny County courtroom to improve public access and security.

The hearing for Richard Poplawski had been scheduled in City Court, along with a raft of other homicide cases on Friday.

Instead, county court administrators said the hearing will be held in the county courthouse at 10 a.m. that day by itself.

A county judge today will hear arguments from Poplawski's public defender who wants a gag order on police and prosecutors. She said they are tainting the potential jury pool by speaking about details of the case and Poplawski's allegedly casual demeanor when he was interrogated about the April 4 shootings.