TROY — A Rensselaer County Court judge presided over a closed hearing Monday to address a protective order for a witness in a 2019 Lansingburgh killing of a New York City woman.

The hearing was requested by Assistant District Attorney Cheryl McDermott and is permitted under the state’s newly updated discovery laws to allow the judge to determine whether access to any evidentiary materials should be limited in order to ensure the safety of a witness.

The defense attorneys for the trio accused in the fatal early-morning shooting of 19-year-old Beyonce Wint have argued the protective order is a prosecution tactic to prevent them from seeing materials crucial to their case.

Idelisse N. Armstead, 24, of Brooklyn, Antwaun Twitty, 30, of Burlington, Vt., and Isaiah Williams, 21, of Brooklyn are each charged with second-degree murder in Wint’s death. The young woman, who had lived in Queens and Manhattan, was killed outside 432 Fourth Ave. at about 3 a.m. on Sept. 17 by a single shot to her head, according to police and prosecutors.

“The DA is moving to shield the testimony of a grand jury witness from the defense, (someone) who we feel is relevant for evaluating the evidence against my client,” said Assistant Conflict Defender Joseph Ahearn, who represents Twitty.

Shane Hug, defense attorney for Williams, said prosecutors “have not done what they are required to provide under the discovery statute,” and maintained the request for the protective order is not supported by the law.

Assistant Public Defender Williams Roberts said at this point everyone is working through the requirements of the new discovery statutes. “The protective order is a tactic to hold back evidence,” said Roberts, who represents Armstead.

Judge Jennifer Sober is hearing the case and has begun a review of the protective order motion and the relevant evidence in question. A spokeswoman for District Attorney Mary Pat Donnelly said the office had no comment on the matter.

The changes in the state’s discovery laws require that within 15 days from the date of a defendant’s arraignment, the prosecution must turn over to the defense evidence including statements, names of witnesses, recordings, 911 calls and other material germane to the case. District attorneys and police have complained about the short time frame and the amount of additional work involved.

The change in the law was intended to provide a “level playing field” and ensure that “both sides have the same information” in criminal cases, said Laurie Shanks, an Albany Law School emerita professor of law and longtime defense attorney. The protective order statute is clear on its requirements and how it can be applied, she noted.

Troy police considered Wint's killing to be a challenging investigation: The victim and the three defendants did not have ties to the city, and it took a months-long effort by multiple agencies to make the arrests. The grand jury testimony by the witness could be critical in tying the prosecution's case together.