Colorado Massacre Trial

Comet · #1 (**permalink**) 08-09-2012, 07:54 PM

Going to create a thread regarding the entire trial process and news regarding the Colorado massacre suspect James Holmes.

Let us all be mature and not turn this thread into a gun rights debate. I believe you all did enough of that already in other hijacked threads. Hell, the bodies were still warm and we were using this tragedy as a political pawn and talking point. This thread is strictly for anything pertaining to the trial.

Thank you.

Now, as we did not see this coming.

Suspect in Colorado movie theater massacre is mentally ill, attorneys say

Quote:

CENTENNIAL, Colorado – Attorneys for the suspect in the Colorado movie theater shootings said Thursday their client is mentally ill and that they need more time to assess the nature of his illness.

James Holmes' lawyers made the disclosure at a court hearing in suburban Denver where news media organizations asked a judge to unseal court documents in the case.

Holmes, a 24-year-old former Ph.D. student at the University of Colorado, Denver, had the familiar, dazed demeanor that he had in previous court appearances.

Holmes is accused of going on a July 20 shooting rampage at a midnight showing of the latest Batman movie in Aurora, killing 12 people and injuring 58 others.

Defense attorney Daniel King made the revelation about Holmes' illness as he argued that the defense needs more information from prosecutors and investigators to assess their client.

"We cannot begin to assess the nature and the depth of Mr. Holmes' mental illness until we receive full disclosure," he said.

Holmes evicted from apartment for 'substantial violation of his lease'

King said Holmes sought out university psychiatrist Lynne Fenton for help. A hearing was scheduled for Aug. 16 to establish whether there was a doctor-patient relationship between them.

There were fewer victims and family members in the courtroom Thursday than at earlier hearings. Several spectators appeared mesmerized by the sight of Holmes, unable to take their eyes off him.

Mental illness "doesn't give him the right to do what he did," Chris Townsond, who escaped the shooting unharmed, said after the hearing. "I don't care how mentally damaged he is."

The Associated Press and 20 other news organizations asked Chief District Judge William Sylvester to scale back a gag order that bars the university from releasing details about Holmes.

Sylvester had said in issuing the order that he wanted to protect the county's investigation. But even Aurora officials have cited the gag order in declining to speak about the city's response to the shootings.

Steven D. Zansberg, an attorney representing the news consortium, noted that state law allows judges to issue gag orders barring prosecutors and law enforcement from commenting.

King opposed the news media motion, saying the gag order ensures fairness. Prosecutor Karen Pearson said she had filed her own argument on the issue in court -- and that it is sealed.

Sylvester said he would rule on the matter by Monday. He did not say when he would respond to the news media's request to unseal the court documents.

Those documents include the case file, which makes it impossible for observers to understand prosecution and defense arguments on motions that are referenced by number only.

The documents, which also include search warrants, inventories of evidence and police interviews with witnesses, can be an important source of information for the public.

Little is known about how police say Holmes prepared for the shooting, or how they say he rigged his apartment with explosives.

Gregory Moore, editor of The Denver Post, said before the hearing that the news organizations are trying to perform their watchdog role, making sure the investigation is being conducted openly and fairly.

In Colorado, this type of legal battle has been seen before, including the 2003 case of Los Angeles Lakers player Kobe Bryant who faced sexual assault charges in Vail.

It took a news media challenge to unseal an affidavit in which police laid out their case for an arrest. Bryant maintained his innocence, and prosecutors dropped the case in 2005.

Read more: Suspect in Colorado movie theater massacre is mentally ill, attorneys say | Fox News

PT Again · #2 (**permalink**) 08-09-2012, 08:01 PM

Of course he is mentally ill................he killed people......

A dollar to doughnuts they blame the shrink.............

Mikeyy · #3 (**permalink**) 08-09-2012, 08:25 PM

No point in a long trial. They will eventually do what they did in arizona. The guy is mental.

Comet · #4 (**permalink**) 08-09-2012, 08:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PT Again

A dollar to doughnuts they blame the shrink.............

No deal. I am not risking a dollar nor my precious donuts on such an obvious and inevitable tactic.

dabateman · #5 (**permalink**) 08-09-2012, 10:23 PM

I guess the first substantial step is going to be a competency hearing...

That's going to be a rough and tumble hearing. It's going to be the first fight over the prior psychiatric care and if there was negligence on their behalf...

Get ready for some heavy weight expert analysis... That is if the judge lifts the gag. Otherwise, we'll just be speculating.

PT Again · #6 (**permalink**) 08-09-2012, 10:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dabateman

I guess the first substantial step is going to be a competency hearing...

That's going to be a rough and tumble hearing. It's going to be the first fight over the prior psychiatric care and if there was negligence on their behalf...

Get ready for some heavy weight expert analysis... That is if the judge lifts the gag. Otherwise, we'll just be speculating.

There are only logical outcomes of this trial: Since its Colorado

1: Life in Prison
2: Life in a Mental Instituion

It should take longer to pick a jury than to try this case.

dabateman · #7 (**permalink**) 08-09-2012, 10:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PT Again

There are only logical outcomes of this trial: Since its Colorado

1: Life in Prison
2: Life in a Mental Instituion

It should take longer to pick a jury than to try this case.

Yeah... if only it worked that way...

PT Again · #8 (**permalink**) 08-09-2012, 10:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dabateman

Yeah... if only it worked that way...

This guys "due process" will unfortuantly take too long

Where's Roy Bean when ya need him ? (or at least his Hollywood personafied version)

dabateman · #9 (**permalink**) 08-09-2012, 10:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PT Again

This guys "due process" will unfortuantly take too long

Where's Roy Bean when ya need him ? (or at least his Hollywood personafied version)

Due Process never takes too long.

Comet · #10 (**permalink**) 09-28-2012, 08:53 PM

Update.

Prosecutors say Colorado movie theater massacre shooter threatened professor

Quote:

DENVER – The suspect in a deadly movie theater attack was barred from the University of Colorado campus for threatening a professor, prosecutors said in court documents released Friday.

That conflicts with the university's statements that Holmes was denied access to non-public parts of the campus because he had withdrawn from school.

The name of the person Holmes threatened has been blacked out, so it's unclear who he threatened.

Just minutes before the shooting, Holmes tried unsuccessfully to call his university psychiatrist, defense attorneys have said.

Psychiatrist Lynne Fenton, a professor at the school, also received a notebook in the mail from Holmes that reportedly contains violent descriptions of an attack. She didn't open the package until after the attack, and defense attorneys don't want it to be used as evidence, saying it's protected by doctor-patient privilege. Fenton last saw Holmes professionally on June 11 before seeing him again in court on Aug. 30.

In the documents released Friday, prosecutors say the professor reported the threats, and Holmes was denied access to campus "as a result of these actions."

In other documents, defense attorneys say the prosecutors' allegations are false, based on university statements.

After weeks of secrecy surrounding the case, most of the documents filed in court were released to the public on Friday.

Holmes, 24, faces 152 charges in the July 20 shooting at an Aurora movie theater during a special midnight showing of the new Batman movie, "The Dark Knight Rises." The attack killed 12 people and injured 58 others.

The defense has a psychiatry expert on its defense team and plans to use him as an expert, giving further insight into a possible insanity defense by James Holmes, the documents showed.

Defense attorneys claim Holmes is mentally ill, raising the possibility that Holmes will plead not guilty by reason of insanity.

In court, prosecutors suggested Holmes was angry at the failure of a once promising academic career and stockpiled weapons, ammunition, tear gas grenades, and body armor as his research deteriorated and professors urged him to get into another profession. Chief Deputy District Attorney Karen Pearson said Holmes failed a key oral exam in June, was banned from campus and began to voluntarily withdraw from the school.

Read more: Prosecutors say Colorado movie theater massacre shooter threatened professor | Fox News

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode

The Following User Says Thank You to Comet For This Useful Post:
mlurp

The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to dabateman For This Useful Post:
Mikeyy, Spencer Collins