Security was extraordinarily tight Monday at a brief court hearing for Mark Hacking, charged with first-degree felony murder in the death of his wife, Lori Hacking.

After being transported from the Salt Lake County Jail, Hacking entered the courtroom wearing a bulletproof vest over his yellow jail jumpsuit for the scheduling hearing, which lasted only a couple of minutes. Seven uniformed deputies were inside the room. Two more were outside.

Lt. Del Craig of the Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office later confirmed additional security measures had been taken, although not in response to a specific threat.

"We did have him in body armor, and the body armor and deputies were just precautionary measures we've taken because of the nature of this case," Craig said.

"This case has generated a lot of emotion, and our job is to safely deliver the prisoner. We not only have an obligation to protect the public but also the prisoner. These were just an extra tool for us to avert any potential problems — sometimes they're foreseeable and sometimes they're not.

"We haven't had any specific threats that I'm aware of," Craig said. "But it is a high-profile case, and we know a lot of people have emotionally been drawn to the case and are following it."

Craig confirmed there were at least nine uniformed deputies present for that hearing and "probably several more behind the scenes."

There appeared to be no family members present at the brief hearing, Hacking's first in-person appearance in court. Last week he appeared in court via video from the jail.

Third District Judge William Barrett set Sept. 23 for a daylong preliminary hearing, which defense attorney Gil Athay and prosecutor Robert Stott said worked for both their schedules.

After the quick court appearance, Athay patted the expressionless Hacking on the shoulder, and Hacking was taken from the courtroom. He is being held in the jail with bail set at $1 million.

Stott said he expected the preliminary hearing to last one day, although it is possible it could take less time.

"No plea is in the works," Stott said in response to questions about a possible plea agreement. "The only thing we've negotiated about is a date for the preliminary hearing."

Athay indicated later Monday in comments to KSL-TV that discussing whether there will or won't be a plea agreement at this point in the case may be premature. "I haven't evaluated the evidence. I think it would be highly improper to begin plea negotiations when you haven't even understood and digested the evidence," Athay said.

Last week, Athay told KSL-TV that Hacking's defense is looking into the accused killer's mental health and the possibility of brain damage from a fall Hacking suffered in his early 20s, which injured his head and back.