Olathe ? Jurors for the trial of John E. Robinson, the suspect in the so-called barrel murders, will be selected in public proceedings and will be sequestered only during their deliberations, courts have ruled.

And in still another pretrial decision, a judge granted a defense request for Robinson to receive medical testing at Kansas University Medical Center, including exploration of mental health issues.

John E. Robinson Sr. is scheduled to go on trial Monday in Johnson County District Court in the county's first capital murder case in more than 30 years. He is pictured with his attorneys during a change-of-venue hearing earlier this year.

Robinson, 58, is scheduled to go on trial Monday in Johnson County District Court in the county’s first capital murder case in more than 30 years.

The Olathe resident is accused of killing Suzette Trouten and Izabela Lewicka, whose bodies were found in barrels on land he owned in Linn County, and Lisa Stasi, who disappeared in 1985. Robinson also is charged with three killings in western Missouri.

On Thursday, the Kansas Supreme Court reversed a decision by Johnson County District Judge John Anderson III to close the jury selection process to the public, including the news media.

Anderson said last week that potential jurors must feel free to candidly answer personal questions and that he was concerned they might be influenced by the presence of the media. About 1,200 potential jurors will begin reporting to the courthouse Monday for the selection process, which is expected to take about a week.

Media outlets had appealed Anderson’s decision to the Kansas Supreme Court, which ruled in 1981 that all court proceedings must be open “except where extraordinary reasons for closure are present.” The court did not find such reasons in this case.

The judge’s order barring cameras and microphones from the courtroom stands and cannot be appealed.

Anderson had previously announced that he would order the jury to be sequestered throughout the trial, despite the objection of the defense.

But prosecutors at Thursday’s hearing reversed their previous position and asked the judge not to sequester the jury.

Defense attorney Patrick Berrigan said the number of potential jurors would increase because of the ruling because fewer would be seeking “hardship” dismissal from jury service.

Anderson said he would follow the joint recommendation. The judge and attorneys did agree that jurors would be sequestered during deliberations.

In requesting a medical examination, the defense said psychiatrist Dorothy O. Lewis, who has talked to Robinson and members of his family, suspects he may suffer from a bipolar mood disorder.

“History obtained independently of Mr. Robinson reflects that as many as four generations of family members may have suffered from such psychiatric illness similar to his,” the defense said.

Lewis, a professor of psychiatry at New York University School of Medicine, also said Robinson “has a history of severe physical and emotional abuse throughout childhood,” according to the defense request.

He also may have “potentially significant brain abnormalities,” according to a 1990 magnetic resonance image, and Lewis said another MRI is required.

A more detailed explanation of her findings was provided to the judge under seal and was not discussed Thursday in open court.

Anderson told defense attorneys that they can arrange for the testing as long as it does not interfere with regular courtroom proceedings.