( CNN ) -- A Pennsylvania court has ordered that the juvenile trial of Jordan Brown -- a boy accused of killing his father 's pregnant girlfriend three years ago -- be closed , despite a push by several newspapers to allow public access . Brown was 11 in February 2009 when , authorities say , he shot Kenzie Marie Houk , 26 , once at point-blank range in her western Pennsylvania farmhouse . She was eight months pregnant at the time . He was initially charged as an adult , facing the prospect of life in prison without parole . But on August 23 , 2011 , Lawrence County Judge Dominick Motto reversed his earlier ruling so that Brown would instead face a juvenile proceeding . A judge later ordered that these upcoming proceedings must be closed to the public . The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette , Pittsburgh Tribune-Review and New Castle News newspapers subsequently filed an appeal , arguing that the public has a constitutional right to access the courts even when juveniles are involved . Pennsylvania 's Superior Court issued a 33-page ruling on Wednesday , that was obtained Friday by InSession from CNN 's sister network truTV , regarding the appeal . The opinion , written by Judge Jacqueline Shogan , acknowledges that there `` has been some recent tendency to permit publicity ( of ) juvenile court proceedings on the theory that this will act as a curb to juvenile delinquency . '' But the court also expressed concerns that the harm caused by publicizing juvenile proceedings `` may be great . '' The order references an effort to maintain Jordan 's privacy , finding that `` there is no alternative short of closure of the juvenile court proceedings '' that will do so . `` Closure of the juvenile proceedings , under the constitutional analysis , serves a compelling government interest and ... there is no less restrictive means to serve that interest , '' Shogan wrote in the opinion . Given the high-profile nature of the case , CNN is identifying Brown by name even though he is a juvenile . Investigators say Houk was killed with a bullet fired from a youth model 20-gauge shotgun that belonged to Brown . The pregnant woman 's 4-year-old daughter found her in her bed , according to police . The girl alerted landscapers working near the home , who then called authorities . Brown , who was living with his father at the time of the shooting , was subsequently charged with one count each of criminal homicide and homicide of an unborn child . The charges were initially filed in an adult court because , according to Pennsylvania state law , anyone older than 10 who has committed a murder or homicide is automatically tried as an adult . The defense then must present a sufficient case to move a case to juvenile court . At the time , Brown was thought to be the youngest person facing a life sentence without the possibility of parole , according to an Amnesty International statement . InSession 's Jessica Thill contributed to this report .
Authorities believe that Brown , then 17 , shot and kiled his father 's pregnant girlfriend in 2009 . Initially charged as an adult , a Pennsylvania judge then ruled he 'd be tried as a juvenile . Several Pennsylvania newspapers said Brown 's proceedings should be open to the public . A Superior Court opinion says they should be closed to protect the accused boy 's privacy .