Aurora movie theater shooting trial day 45: Cross-examination of schizophrenia expert continues

Day 2 in the Aurora movie theater shooting trial – People vs. James Eagan Holmes. Today, prosecutors open their case calling witnesses _____? During the course of the trial, prosecutors will argue that Holmes, the admitted gunman, was sane when he went into the midnight premiere of the Dark Knight Rises in an Aurora, Colorado, movie theater and opened fire on the audience, killing 12 and wounding 70. His defense attorneys will try to spare Holmes’ life by arguing that he was insane. 7NEWS and TheDenverChannel.com will have gavel to gavel coverage of the trial starting at 8:15 a.m. (MST) everyday and ending around 5:30 p.m. (MST) Watch new live video on our YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/7NewsDenver/live Additional resources:LIVE VIDEO & BLOG: http://bit.ly/theatertrialTIMELINE of the case: http://bit.ly/theatertimelineJURY PROFILE: http://bit.ly/theaterjury CONTINUING COVERAGE: http://bit.ly/theatercoverage

3rd & 7 37yd

IMO nobody here is "for" what JH has done, but for fair trial as stated in the 6th Constitutional Amendment.

by Resa 7/8/2015 10:44:52 PM
"Capacity within his delusions" is key phrasing.

by Lynn 7/8/2015 10:44:56 PM
Judge should NOT be making those comments. Just rule -- no comments.

by Rob 7/8/2015 10:45:00 PM
The Judge is forgiven - JH isn't.

by JW 7/8/2015 10:47:30 PM
Brauchler just did the sliding face palm...

by Anica Padilla via twitter 7/8/2015 10:47:42 PM
Many folks have commented on JH swiveling in his chair. For some reason, it is really annoying me today that he never stops! It looks so much like he is secretly laughing at everyone. All this time and money is being devoted to a person who really loves all this attention, but may not care an ounce how the case turns out. He may care less than anyone on earth.

by Megh 7/8/2015 10:48:00 PM
Guess who else is in Florence, CO? Tsarnaev

by Just Thinkin 7/8/2015 10:48:09 PM
Does King believe his objections will sway the jury or the judge or is he just trying to earn his keep?

by JW 7/8/2015 10:48:24 PM
@Rob: Did I miss something? What was the Judges comment?

by FMM 7/8/2015 10:48:27 PM
@MyraJ: I'm sure okx make a mere typo on "philosopy" as they correctly spelled it "philosophy" at the beginning of their sentence. I just read all of okx's posts... don't see where they need to "get their facts straight" on anything.

by CindyL 7/8/2015 10:48:45 PM
Notice how She looked at King and wouldn't answer...

by Abrandt 7/8/2015 10:48:47 PM
King: "....this is an aggravator..." LOL he's losing his pants big time! LOL

by Ibby 7/8/2015 10:48:52 PM
Appeals court may not forgive the judge.

by Rob 7/8/2015 10:48:55 PM
"mentally competent"people have committed many murders..you could say they were insane also..GO Brauchler King sees flushing of his case before his very eyes

by Trial Crazy 7/8/2015 10:48:57 PM
Anica, you are too funny!!

by Hill 7/8/2015 10:48:58 PM
@okx I'm so sorry for you and glad you were able to survive something so horrific. Colorado has had too many mass shooting and there is still no movement to look at Mental Health and violent crimes. Just sad, overwhelmingly sad!

by Just Thinkin 7/8/2015 10:49:04 PM
It's hard to have empathy for JH. Especially after the lives he took and the rest who have been attempted and scarred for life, their families etc

by Tjq 7/8/2015 10:49:14 PM
@Hill---It has become pretty clear that no forensic psychiatrist who values his/her professional reputation would give the DT the answers they are looking for. So, they resorted to an academic researcher in psychiatry who would serve the defense's agenda. Story over.

by flip 7/8/2015 10:49:21 PM
@okx I am not arguing that PhD does not stand for Doctor of Philosophy. I am saying that PhDs do not study philosophy to get PhD degrees. I did 6 years of neuroscience research, wrote and defended a dissertation and was awarded a PhD. You need to hear what you are saying, your characterization of a PhD is wrong. Period. End of discussion. What is your PhD in?

by MyraJ 7/8/2015 10:52:25 PM
1000+ Flip! This is a joke now.

by Jeannie 7/8/2015 10:52:30 PM
I find Dr. Gur very aggravating in the way she remembers/doesn't remember many things, but I think it would be facinating to attend any of her lectures. Unfortunately that is not what she needs to be doing on the stand - as many others have pointed out. She really is not helping the DT. I can't wait for her to be done and gone.

by DocJ 7/8/2015 10:52:43 PM
Flip... True.

by Hill 7/8/2015 10:52:45 PM
I feel for this jury. They have quite a task before them. I wouldn't want to be in their shoes.

by Hill 7/8/2015 10:52:54 PM
STATS update 41 objections, 9 over Rules.... 32 sustained The DT is getting their heads handed to them.

by Jeannie 7/8/2015 10:52:58 PM
Maybe Gur took the job to conduct research on JH - a fine candidate for academic research

by ad hoc 7/8/2015 10:53:16 PM
Judge Samour: "No it does not" in response to King's objection that it invades the province of the jury...no big deal and the Appellate Court won't even blink

by PA Watcher 7/8/2015 10:53:25 PM
i think gur will be very glad when she is finished testifying

by wendy 7/8/2015 10:53:27 PM
Is Nelson King's brain?

by JW 7/8/2015 10:53:49 PM
@FMM -- he said "capacity is precisely what she is testifying to and it is appropriate for cross exam."

by Rob 7/8/2015 10:53:55 PM
After years in medicine, including a stint working in a prison, while the suffering of the victims is great....it does not diminish the tragedy of mental illness. My experience is that most of the public does not appreciate the challenges of mental illness.

by trl2 7/8/2015 10:54:20 PM
@CindyL that was my typo and read my just posted comment. I will restate: PhD is Doctor of Philosophy, that I will grant you. But I and most of my colleagues (in science) have never taken a philosophy course in our lives. We have, though, taken more science courses and have done more science than most MDs.

by MyraJ 7/8/2015 10:54:28 PM
@Rob I think that a lot of what has been going on today actually is aimed at determining his functioning but it has to be sorted out from what Dr. Gur interpretes.

by 5W 7/8/2015 10:54:32 PM
@NH, I hold my opinion because I have not been convinced beyond a reasonable doubt that JH was sane leading up to and when he committed his crimes. And in fact, at this point I do not think it is possible to prove he was sane, beyond a reasonable doubt, at those times (because there is a real lack of evidence that proves his sanity at that time). Planning does not necessitate being sane. Insane people plan. All of the Reid evidence, though totally credible to me (I loved Dr Reid), is not based on an examination of JH at or around the time of the crime, and therefore, does not remove all doubt from my mind so that I can conclude JH was sane. I should add, my opinion is a legal opinion. Morally I think JH is culpable and what he did is completely reprehensible. But legally, I simply do not see the proof there of his sanity.

by Alison 7/8/2015 10:54:49 PM
That too Rob...Appellate Court will not blink at that either

by PA Watcher 7/8/2015 10:54:54 PM
@wendy agreed.

by Tjq 7/8/2015 10:55:01 PM
@Flip Disagree, if Dr Reid had found JH insane I don't think this case would have proceeded forward

by Just Thinkin 7/8/2015 10:55:05 PM
Brauchler is a master Forget the Arias prosecutor. All he did was yell

by Trial Crazy 7/8/2015 10:55:09 PM
AC is always ready for the sneezes, LOL!!

by Kristle 7/8/2015 11:00:06 PM
I really wish these questions came before the note-taking and report details. In my opinion, this line of questioning is much more salient to her testimony (and the issues before the jury).

by Rob 7/8/2015 11:00:13 PM
I think there has been enough evidence to prove he was sane. However, psychiatry is an in exact science and that makes it hard for the lay person when it's expert against expert.

by Hill 7/8/2015 11:00:17 PM
@Just---Dr. Reid was court-appointed, not defense or prosecution. And, he is a qualified forensic psychiatrist. He opined that he is "extremely confident" that Holmes was sane at the time of the shooting. What are we disagreeing about?

by flip 7/8/2015 11:00:25 PM
No point posting your credentials here. Nobody will or should believe you. Instead of adding to your credibility with intelligent discourse, you cast doubt on your base level intelligence by thinking you will gain some level of respect by turning your GED into a vaporware doctorate.

by Mark 7/8/2015 11:00:40 PM
@5W -- I wish it were more clear what the aim was today.

by Rob 7/8/2015 11:00:42 PM
So DT is about to rest after re-direct of Gur, all evidence is in.IMO PT has proved their case for sanity.

by texas 7/8/2015 11:00:46 PM
Extremely difficult to hold one’s ground when another is attempting to twist and confuse your every statement; someone who has never experienced this cannot comprehend how difficult this can be. CV just keeps going over the same thing continually with the purpose to confuse while using suggestive persuasion…a trained technique. Good for her to hold her ground because none of this will change her opinion and rightfully so. It is shameful for all here to discredit a person who has helped more people and has more education than maybe all you combined.

by Dean Chirempes 7/8/2015 11:00:59 PM