ST. PAUL — The constitutionality of Minnesota’s sex offender treatment program will be determined by a federal judge, not a jury, under a ruling issued Tuesday.

U.S. District Judge Donovan Frank denied the state’s request for a jury trial and said he’ll make the decisions in the first phase of the case, which will focus on whether the state’s law on civil commitments of sex offenders is constitutional. The bench trial is scheduled to begin Feb. 9.