Attorneys keep secrets in lacrosse murder trial

Editor's note: Jean Casarez is a correspondent for In Session on TruTv. She was inside the courtroom for Thursday's hearing.

Lawyers for both sides in the upcoming University of Virginia lacrosse murder trial took an unorthodox approach to keep evidence a secret in court Thursday.

Former scholarship lacrosse player George Huguely is accused of killing Yeardley Love, who also played lacrosse on a scholarship at UVA. 

In an open hearing Thursday, prosecutors and defense attorneys argued in cryptic "code" as they addressed new issues regarding Love's medical records. The defense won a fight to get Love's medical history in late 2011, but the judge has sealed all current motions about her medical records.

Medical evidence could be critical to the outcome of Huguely's murder trial. The relationship between Huguely and Love will also be important. They had dated, but police documents indicate their relationship ended just before she died and that they fought the night before her body was found. Huguely's arrest warrant states he told police that he hit Love during that argument and her head continually banged into the wall. Love's roommate found her face down on her pillow, dead in their apartment May 3, 2010. Love also had a swollen right eye and severe facial bruising.

The Medical Examiner determined Love's official cause of death was blunt force trauma, but the defense is expected to argue that the fight with Huguely isn't what killed Love. Love had a prescription for Adderall, which is used to treat adult ADHD. It is believed that defense attorneys will argue the Adderall caused cardiac arrhythmia, and that's what killed Love.

In Thursday's hearing, both sides made vague statements as they tried to keep medical evidence under wraps. The prosecution argued it is "very concerned" about the jury hearing one particular part of Love's medical records. Attorneys told the judge in a very stern tone they did not want the defense to "raise anything about the one episode." Prosecutor Dave Chapman continued, saying, "what you are doing is allowing a ten-page document." The statements were not put in context, but both legal teams and the judge seemed to know exactly what Chapman was talking about. 

Huguely was not in court Thursday. In fact, Judge Edward L. Hogshire has allowed Huguely to waive his constitutional right to be present for pre-trial hearings. But that will change when jury selection starts February 6. Huguely will be in court as lawyers choose the men and women who will decide his guilt or innocence.

Attorneys said they hope to seat a jury in just one day, even though they'll have a pool of 90 potential jurors to get through, and they plan to question them individually.  The judge has slated a second day of jury selection just in case it's needed with an additional 90 potential jurors to be called. The questions will focus on what potential jurors know about the case, the defendant, and the victim and their opinions on -- and real-life experiences with -- domestic abuse.

Testimony is expected to last two weeks.

Cameras are not allowed inside the courtroom, but HLN and In Session will cover every moment of the trial, so stay tuned.