Movie shooting suspect on 24 counts of murder
Source: Agencies |
July 31, 2012, Tuesday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
US Prosecutors have charged a former neuroscience graduate student with 24 counts of murder and 116 counts of attempted murder in the Colorado theater rampage. Legal analysts expect the case to be dominated by arguments over his sanity.
Yesterday, James Holmes appeared just as dazed as he did in his first court appearance a week ago, but at one point he exchanged a few words with one of his attorneys in the packed courtroom.
The breakdown of the charges was not immediately clear. The July 20 attack at a midnight showing of the new Batman movie left 12 people dead and 58 others injured. After Holmes' arrest outside the theater, police said they found his apartment was booby trapped. Among the charges was one count of possession of explosives.
Unlike Holmes' first court appearance, yesterday's hearing was not televised. At the request of the defense, District Chief Judge William Sylvester barred video and still cameras, saying expanded coverage could interfere with Holmes' right to a fair trial.
The judge also placed a gag order on lawyers and law enforcement, sealing the court file and barring the University of Colorado Denver from releasing public records relating to Holmes' year there.
Attorneys were also arguing over a defense motion to find out who leaked information to the media about a package the 24-year-old Holmes is said to have sent to his psychiatrist at the university. Authorities seized the package on July 23 after finding it in the mailroom of the medical campus where Holmes studied. Several media outlets reported that it contained a notebook with descriptions of an attack, but Arapahoe County District Attorney Carol Chambers said in court papers that the parcel hadn't been opened by the time the "inaccurate" news reports appeared.
On Friday, court papers revealed that Holmes was seeing psychiatrist Dr Lynne Fenton at the university. An online resume listed schizophrenia as one of her research interests.
Holmes allegedly began stockpiling gear for his assault four months ago, and authorities say he bought his weapons in May and June, well before the midnight shooting spree during a showing of the new Batman film. He was arrested by police outside the theater.
"This is not a whodunit," said Craig Silverman, a former chief deputy district attorney in Denver. "The only possible defense is insanity."
Under Colorado law, defendants are not legally liable for their acts if their minds are so "diseased" they cannot distinguish between right and wrong. However, the law warns that "care should be taken not to confuse such mental disease or defect with moral obliquity, mental depravity, or passion growing out of anger, revenge, hatred, or other motives, and kindred evil conditions."
Holmes' public defenders could argue he is not mentally competent to stand trial. If he is convicted, they can try to stave off a possible death penalty by arguing he is mentally ill.
Prosecutors will decide whether to seek the death penalty in the coming weeks.
Yesterday, James Holmes appeared just as dazed as he did in his first court appearance a week ago, but at one point he exchanged a few words with one of his attorneys in the packed courtroom.
The breakdown of the charges was not immediately clear. The July 20 attack at a midnight showing of the new Batman movie left 12 people dead and 58 others injured. After Holmes' arrest outside the theater, police said they found his apartment was booby trapped. Among the charges was one count of possession of explosives.
Unlike Holmes' first court appearance, yesterday's hearing was not televised. At the request of the defense, District Chief Judge William Sylvester barred video and still cameras, saying expanded coverage could interfere with Holmes' right to a fair trial.
The judge also placed a gag order on lawyers and law enforcement, sealing the court file and barring the University of Colorado Denver from releasing public records relating to Holmes' year there.
Attorneys were also arguing over a defense motion to find out who leaked information to the media about a package the 24-year-old Holmes is said to have sent to his psychiatrist at the university. Authorities seized the package on July 23 after finding it in the mailroom of the medical campus where Holmes studied. Several media outlets reported that it contained a notebook with descriptions of an attack, but Arapahoe County District Attorney Carol Chambers said in court papers that the parcel hadn't been opened by the time the "inaccurate" news reports appeared.
On Friday, court papers revealed that Holmes was seeing psychiatrist Dr Lynne Fenton at the university. An online resume listed schizophrenia as one of her research interests.
Holmes allegedly began stockpiling gear for his assault four months ago, and authorities say he bought his weapons in May and June, well before the midnight shooting spree during a showing of the new Batman film. He was arrested by police outside the theater.
"This is not a whodunit," said Craig Silverman, a former chief deputy district attorney in Denver. "The only possible defense is insanity."
Under Colorado law, defendants are not legally liable for their acts if their minds are so "diseased" they cannot distinguish between right and wrong. However, the law warns that "care should be taken not to confuse such mental disease or defect with moral obliquity, mental depravity, or passion growing out of anger, revenge, hatred, or other motives, and kindred evil conditions."
Holmes' public defenders could argue he is not mentally competent to stand trial. If he is convicted, they can try to stave off a possible death penalty by arguing he is mentally ill.
Prosecutors will decide whether to seek the death penalty in the coming weeks.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
