Jan 2, 2013 6:53am

Accused Colo. Shooter James Holmes Hearing Set

ap james holmes colorado shooting lpl 120921 wblog Accused Colo. Shooter James Holmes Hearing Set

Arapahoe County Sheriff/AP Photo

Accused Aurora, Colo., theater shooter James Holmes appeared in court today where a judge set a preliminary hearing for January 7 that is expected to last several days.

Hundreds of people including witnesses, victims and families are expected to attend.

Prosecutors say part of the evidence presented at the preliminary hearing will include recordings of calls to 911 and approximately 30 hours of video from inside the Century 16 multiplex.

Holmes was in court for Wednesday’s hearing, his brown hair slightly grown out from his last appearance and now wearing a full beard. He did not speak and sat quietly at the defense table in a maroon jumpsuit and shackles.

Both sides told judge William Sylvester that they are ready to proceed on January 7.

At a preliminary hearing, prosecutors must convince the judge there is enough evidence against Holmes to proceed to a trial. As part of that process, law enforcement investigators are expected to testify about details of the case that have never been revealed before.

The preliminary hearing will be held in the largest courtroom available in Arapahoe County Colorado, which holds about 100 people.  Overflow crowds will be able to watch the proceeding on a video and audio feed in several rooms around the court complex, including a jury assembly room that has room for about 300 people.

Holmes is accused of murdering 12 people and wounding 58 when he allegedly opened fire at a midnight screening of the Batman film “The Dark Knight Rises”. His defense team believes Holmes is mentally ill. He has not entered a plea.

Read our full coverage of the shootings.   

The theater where the shooting occurred is set to reopen January 17.

SHOWS:

User Comments

I would like to know why the following story has not been headlined on any major media network stations.

San Antonio Theater Shooting

On Sunday December 17, 2012, 2 days after the CT shooting, a man went to a restaurant in San Antonio to kill his X-girlfriend. After he shot her, most of the people in the restaurant fled next door to a theater. The gunman followed them and entered the theater so he could shoot more people. He started shooting and people in the theater started running and screaming. It’s like the Aurora, CO theater story plus a restaurant!

Now aren’t you wondering why this isn’t a lead story in the national media along with the school shooting?

There was an off duty county deputy at the theater. SHE pulled out her gun and shot the man 4 times before he had a chance to kill anyone. So since this story makes the point that the best thing to stop a bad person with a gun is a good person with a gun, the media is treating it like it never happened.

Only the local media covered it. The city is giving her a medal next week.

Just thought you’d like to know.

I remain disgusted with the media’s deliberate attempt to whitewash news while at the same time creating their own narrative for whatever sinister reasons.

Posted by: Brian | January 2, 2013, 9:19 am 9:19 am

Brian

The richest, most powerful people in the country are pushing for stricter gun control and/or a total gun ban. (Oil giant and Obama supporter George Soros comes to mind.)
The richest, most powerful people own the news media.

Anti-gun folks want to portray the NRA as supported primarily by gun manufactures. Not true. The NRA is supported primarily by NRA members who are people from all walks of life from gas station attendants and ditch diggers to cops, teachers and business owners. There are a few Hollywood types like Chuck Norris.

Organizations like the Brady Campaign are supported by George Soros, Michael Bloomberg, Levi Strauss, most of the Hollywood elite and other corporations and wealthy people who live in ivory towers surrounded by armed guards. Bloomberg has armed guards at taxpayer expense but he doesn’t want common citizens to carry guns. Chicago elite like Illinois State Senator (D) Donne Trotter carries a gun but Chicago Democrats don’t allow common citizens to have the same right.

Obama wants to circumvent our Second Amendment rights but I notice he isn’t giving up his SS deta

Posted by: oonogil | January 2, 2013, 10:07 am 10:07 am

@brian Could it be that it happened 2 days after the shooting and the ENTIRE country was heart-broken over the death of 26 people, including 20 children under 7? Based on your conspiracy theory I’m guessing you’re a pro-gun owner who is convinced that the government is trying to take away you 2nd amendment. You’re also implying that an ARMED officer would probably have saved lives at the school. While I can’t discount that theory, I can tell you that it’s pure speculation and more than likely would have made little difference since he was wearing armor. However, even that being said, there is a HUGE difference between a theater and an elementary school. This isn’t a 3rd world country we live in or some sort of prison state. We don’t need guns in our schools to protect our young. What we need is more intelligent discussions on preventing this from happing again. If that means that we limit the sale of military-style assault weapons then so be it. If you can still by a hand gun or hunting rifle then your right to bear arms (against a government that could squash you and your civil rights with a simple UAV strike) is protected. Argue that.

Oh and the guard at the movie theater. She’s a hero.

Posted by: Michael | January 2, 2013, 10:08 am 10:08 am

James Holmes is laughing at ALL of us….thousands being spent and this IDIOT will be living off our tax money for life..and he knows it…like he cares…wake up people…clowns like this are mocking all of us.

Posted by: rw46 | January 2, 2013, 10:35 am 10:35 am

“His defense team believes Holmes is mentally ill.”

Since sane people typically don’t go into a movie theater and start shooting people, I’d say that this is hardly a revelation.

Posted by: AmericaThePitiful | January 2, 2013, 11:13 am 11:13 am

Funny how most people kill one person and get a life in prison, yet this guy does it in spades and injuries and ruins lots of people lifes, and the way I see it he either gets two things life in prision, or a needl in his arm “in 20+ years if at all”. Yet someone is stupid enough and crazy enough to defend him, people like this make the crimnal system unfair as much as they do a joke. Theirs a big difference between a fair trail, and stupid unjust one. How many ways can you say guilty, to be honest how could or is it possible to find anyone in terms of jury that won’t say hes guilty without being biases. Maybe I’m just more outrage on the waste and time money that people pay in terms of tax payer money, this is far worst than the oj simpson, the person i felt sorry for in that trail wasn’t his kids, or wife, it was his bestfriend that never even got/or gets mention, its like so what what matter was his wife not the high speed chase, or the fact he killed two people and not one, but hey I look at this and think should we really bother with crimes like this one, and treat them as fair? We all know its cut and dry, I know the justice system isn’t perfect and thakes time, but this is just stupid, not because of lack of unstanding it, just how its handle in extreme cases like this, maybe thats the problem we have in this country, people feel as if they can kill as many as people as they like, it happens lot more than just in schools, or movie theaters, etc. Happens ALL THE TIME, all because it never or doens’t make it on cnn doens’t mean it doesn’t happen being small or big cities, towns, etc. I say its time for change. Be different if this was a trail about rather he was guilty or not, that to me what fair trails is for, but not one that is obviously a man that did it knowing what he was doing just like all the rest. Must be nice to live in a country where you can pled insanity, like that guy from lethal weapon 2 using that whole immunity thing liek its going out of style saying hahha you can’t stop me, be like wanna bet. I guess its easier to say what most of you only think, being that whatever form of punishment isn’t, wont be enough, and despite that whole wont bring anyone back stuff like people say, well I say he should still be punish if was anyone posting they throw the book at you, and thats the truth. Luckily, Im the type that believes everyones deserve a fair trail, but in rare cases like this, I think a trail shouldn’t be given, should be like this say hes guilty, and then decide best form of punishment, I think beign him in a padded room, almost as bad as letting him go free, maybe its just me, probably not in feeling this way.

Posted by: Chris | January 2, 2013, 11:39 am 11:39 am

TO AMERICATHEPITIFUL:

Perhaps some grammar classes are in order – as well as spelling and logic. Cheers!

Posted by: ESE | January 2, 2013, 12:40 pm 12:40 pm

MICHAEL, They print “mostly” only what they feel is “HEADLINE WORTHY” or what they are told to print. You don’t have to be “pro-gun” to realize that the nut at the restaurant in San Antonio was only able to kill because no one else had a gun there. Once he went to the theater he was stopped by someone who did. As far as the idiot that was wearing the body armor; you don’t have to “guess” that it didn’t keep him from being killed by a bullet. Once these whaco’s realize there is no way out (such as someone firing back) then they usually shoot themselves anyway. In this reality (where most of us live) guns will always be accessible by nuts & criminals. The only question that remains is “Who do you want more of; “Victims” or “Hero’s”???” Sorry but since most of my kids are still in school and frequent movie theaters, I’d like to read more about hero’s and less about victims. (Don’t you???)

PS.
You might also like to know that I don’t even own a gun. :>)

Posted by: ROCKET | January 3, 2013, 10:54 am 10:54 am

@Michael
First of all you want to talk about the newtown conn. elementary school story, the kid that did that used two 9mm handguns and not the assult rifle. (It was in his car) Second of all I’m sure if a teacher had a fire arm locked in their desk would have prevented alot of deaths. As far as the Colorado story that guy is a good actor to think he was mentally ill when he plan to booby trap his home and wear tactical gear in a massacre. Another thing do you really think that banning assult rifles are going to stop shootings when a criminal will get a gun off the black market? Do you really think that home invastions etc.. will not increase. I think you need to be more realistic and quit thinking every one is wearing tin foil hats because you sound like a coward to me. Oh and by the way the “hero” Sheriff from San Antonio story was awarded with a metal.

Posted by: Ray | January 3, 2013, 11:19 am 11:19 am

@Michael and Anti-gun people
For those of you that are against guns look at the video on youtube “Gun Control – Watch What Happens When Guns Are Banned” If you ban guns you may as well ban all guns period no debate and I will tell you why (And you can take this for a grain of salt) because I will keep my firearms regardless just like the criminals. Anyway when you remove assult weapons > more massacres will happen with shotguns, hunting rifles, and handguns (easy) when you ban all rifles and shotguns > handguns will be more popular (And they are easer to conseal for crime anyway) > when all guns are banned their will be a national civil war and their will be more crimes that America has had in along time. Pick your poison :)

Posted by: Ray | January 3, 2013, 11:33 am 11:33 am

@Chris
If it was up to me I would go biblical and let the vitims that lost their loves ones stone him. I know for a fact if a criminal killed someone that I cared about and I was a witness, I would stone them so I don’t have to be angry everyday about an idiot “rotting” in prison with our tax dollars with luxurys will idiots like michael say “thats ok, he’s in jail suffering”. Give me a brake…

Posted by: Ray | January 3, 2013, 11:55 am 11:55 am

Leave a Reply

Do you have more information about this topic? If so, please click here to contact the editors of ABC News.