One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
Accused Aurora Movie Theater Shooter James Holmes Will Face Death Penalty
Accused movie theater shooter James Holmes in court, July 23, 2012 in Centennial, Colorado. (Photo by RJ Sangosti-Pool/Getty Images)
James Holmes, the young man accused of shooting dozens of movie-goers last year in Aurora, Colorado during a showing of "Dark Knight Rises," will indeed face the death penalty, prosecutors confirmed Monday.
Last week, Holmes' attorneys submitted a request to file a guilty plea on behalf of their client in order for him to avoid the death penalty, however late last week George Brauchler, the district attorney for Arapahoe County rejected the offer, according to NBC.
Previously, on March 12, a judge entered a standard plea of not guilty for the 25-year-old defendant.
The Wall Street Journal elaborates on the ramifications of today's decision by prosecutors and the path ahead in the case:
Prosecutors in a capital case must first persuade jurors of Mr. Holmes's guilt, then, in a separate proceeding, convince the same jurors that aggravating circumstances such as multiple victims justify a death sentence. The defense can raise mitigating factors, such as his mental state, to try to persuade jurors to impose a sentence of life in prison instead.
In Colorado, the death penalty is administered via lethal injection, however the sentence has not been carried out in full since 1997.
Holmes is charged with 166 counts of murder, attempted murder and other charges. Armed with four weapons, tear gas and body armor, he allegedly opened fire on the movie theater on July 20, killing 12 people and injuring 58 others (though some reports claim over 70 people were wounded).
Sponsored message
Lawyers for the defendant have characterized him as deeply mentally ill.
Holmes' trial is set to begin August 5.
One year ago, Congress voted to defund public media, eliminating a critical $1.7 million from our budget every year going forward. But they couldn’t silence us, and we’re not going anywhere. LAist is now 100% community funded and that means we’re taking our future into our own hands and turning to you to keep local reporting strong.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
