Opening Statements: Theater Shooting Trial Day 1

Opening statements in the theater shooting trial – People vs. James Eagan Holmes. Prosecutors will argue that Holmes, the admitted gunman, was sane when he went into the midnight premiere of the Dark Knight Rises 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. Other resources:LIVE BLOG and analysis: http://bit.ly/theatertrialCASE TIMELINE: http://bit.ly/theatertimelineJURY INFORMATION: http://bit.ly/theaterjuryCONTINUING COVERAGE: http://bit.ly/theatercoverage

Note from 7NEWS: Thank you all for your readership and participation today in this live chat and live stream. We will be closing it down soon for the overnight. It will start again tomorrow morning, shortly before 8:30 am.

by Denver7 4/27/2015 11:36:24 PM

3rd & 7 37yd

Thank you @Megan J - my feelings exactly!!

by Mandy L 4/27/2015 11:38:34 PM
@Rebecca I respectfully disagree. I feel as though it is. Right now, we are giving more humanity and rights to this killer then to the victims. They have no say. They were not given a choice to have a case pleaded for them. They were killed. And had there been as many warning signs as the defense claims...then he should have been institutionalized, by his own admission even. He was sane enough to understand he needed help, which is way he sought counseling. But he then chose to disregard further help when it was offered and chose to be left alone as a ticking timebomb. In my opinion, he is intelligent enough to plan in such detail the mass killings. Is it so hard to believe, with his extensive knowledge regarding the brain and mental illness, and clearly his know-how regarding extensive planning, that he planned this act of mental instability in the event he was caught? I think he wanted to give purpose to his life by becoming infamous for his act of mass murder.

by Megan J. 4/27/2015 11:35:47 PM
Defense wraps up opening statement, Judge Samour now reminding people in the courtroom not to discuss the trial and not to do any independent research into the case.

by anica.padilla 4/27/2015 11:27:19 PM
"When he stepped into that theater, his thoughts and actions were consumed by his disease," defense attorney says. Could not distinguish between right and wrong.

by anica.padilla 4/27/2015 11:25:19 PM
Holmes told friend who reached out to him: "Flood gates are open now," defense attorney says.

by anica.padilla 4/27/2015 11:24:30 PM
I have had and have a few friends with the schizophrenia problem and only one of them has OD'd on the medication with beer and the rest are calm folks loving their own children and much more good things. Not once they threat folks or so. The shooter is giving schizophrenia folks a bad name and repuation.

by Michelle Bell 4/27/2015 11:24:25 PM
I also sit here wondering if he is as "insane' as they are saying, what medications have him sitting there the way he is. where are the delusions and paranoia right now? he is is sitting there listening to people talking about him, I would think for someone with the issues they have talked about, he would be freaking out. ....just my thoughts at the moment

by Kiersty 4/27/2015 11:24:21 PM
I also just want to point out, how are they to prove that he ever actually took the medication prescribed in the first place?

by Megan J. 4/27/2015 11:24:16 PM
It's not that cut and dry Megan J.

by Rebecca Kennedy 4/27/2015 11:24:13 PM
"It is a battle for him. He writes about it in his notebook," defense attorney says.

by anica.padilla 4/27/2015 11:22:56 PM
Defense plays recording of interview with Holmes - "Where does such a strong force come from?" Dr. Reed asks. "I don't know. It just took hold of my mind," Holmes answers.

by anica.padilla 4/27/2015 11:20:34 PM
@7NEWS, I really appreciate you taking the time. Thank you so much.

by Katie 4/27/2015 11:18:28 PM
Dr. Fenton's notes show clear decline in Holmes' mental state from March to June, per defense attorney.

by anica.padilla 4/27/2015 11:16:53 PM
I'm wondering if they will have people with family members/friends with schizophrenia testify to their experience with the disease...?

by Kiersty 4/27/2015 11:16:42 PM
I feel as though the defense doesn't hardly have a case. Even if he truly has a mental illness, and did speak with psychiatrists and divulge these feelings and thoughts. He clearly refused to be placed on medication offered by Dr. Fenton, which clearly proves he was "sane" enough to make the choice to not get help and to allow himself down a violent path. He made the choice to kill, and now he needs to be punished for his actions.

by Megan J. 4/27/2015 11:16:36 PM
Here's a photo from earlier, for @Katie's request, with the names of people I recognize

by Denver7 4/27/2015 11:16:19 PM
@Katie: We can do that in a moment

by Denver7 4/27/2015 11:13:30 PM
Can someone take a screenshot and show me the defendant? For some reason I can't seem to recognize who he is.

by Katie 4/27/2015 11:13:23 PM
@Rebecca Not denying his mental illness. I myself is diagnose with Schizoid Effect Disorder, And have not been medicated in years. But i don't commit crimes. Nor do i sit in a comatose state.

by Keven Kuzara 4/27/2015 11:13:19 PM
by Denver7 4/27/2015 11:08:21 PM
Dr. Fenton asked "What is the evil you want to do?" and Holmes said "Kill people of course, that's why I live in the future," defense attorney says.

by anica.padilla 4/27/2015 11:07:46 PM
Holmes' spending quadrupled in the weeks after being put on medication, also exhibited signs of hyperactivity, defense attorney says.

by anica.padilla 4/27/2015 11:06:07 PM
I know people with mental disorders, I myself have an anxiety disorder. For him to have committed such a violent act that was so pre-meditated, there would clearly have been severe enough warning signs to others, that would have resulted in his hospitalization or treatments because he would have shown prior signs of "insanity."

by Megan J. 4/27/2015 11:05:13 PM
So typical to make fun of or deny this mans illness as if it were not real. Your way of coping with your own ignorance and fear.

by Rebecca Kennedy 4/27/2015 11:05:08 PM
Holmes told psychiatrist Dr. Fenton he was having homicidal thoughts 3-4 times a day, defense says.

by anica.padilla 4/27/2015 11:04:54 PM
I am confused - early on, the defense attorney said he regrets what happened at the theater, but how is it that he is such a mess and is so disconnected? If he was that far gone mentally, he would not care even more so now

by medtech1 4/27/2015 11:01:13 PM
Psychiatrist Dr. Fenton met with Holmes for about an hour, recognized and suspected psychotic-level thinking right away, per defense.

by anica.padilla 4/27/2015 10:59:28 PM
For those of you mocking or not believing this mans mental illness, you're are clearly ignorant. You can't fake a disease of this magnitude. You ask why others didn't take him for treatment? Mentally ill people don't have to take medication or seek treatment, its their right. The voices they hear seem very real to them, they are real to them. So sad

by Rebecca Kennedy 4/27/2015 10:59:19 PM
First counselor who saw Holmes, Margaret Roth, said "He is the most anxious guy she's ever seen," per defense.

by anica.padilla 4/27/2015 10:58:09 PM
Light colored shirt, glasses and looking right as rain? Wow -- what a difference from the flame red hair. Thank you!

by valleygirl 4/27/2015 10:56:59 PM
"We don't have to make a guess about his mental state, we have documentation leading up to the shooting," defense attorney says.

by anica.padilla 4/27/2015 10:56:24 PM
@valleygirl: He is seated on the left of your screen. He is wearing street clothes

by Denver7 4/27/2015 10:54:51 PM
I'm just starting to watch -- have they showed the defendant at all?

by valleygirl 4/27/2015 10:54:33 PM
Holmes started believing in idea of "human capital" - that killing others would increase his self worth. Experts agree that is delusional thinking, defense says.

by anica.padilla 4/27/2015 10:52:59 PM
Holmes started seeing shadows and hallucinating in the early months of 2012, defense attorney says.

by anica.padilla 4/27/2015 10:51:51 PM
Holmes' mental break was caused by psychological stressors, including the breakup with his girlfriend and social phobias, defense attorney says.

by anica.padilla 4/27/2015 10:50:26 PM
Defense atty Spengler: "He was living in reality but his mind was divorced from reality"

by Denver7 4/27/2015 10:46:13 PM
James Holmes suffered a mental break in the spring and summer of 2012, Defense Attorney Katherine Spengler said.

by anica.padilla 4/27/2015 10:46:07 PM
give him some placebo and see how he acts next week in court. If he is still "acting" like he's in a coma, that would prove he's a fake or for real. Let the jury see that.

by Keven Kuzara 4/27/2015 10:39:24 PM
If he was so mentally ill, with all of these early on issues...why didn't his parents ever have him hospitalized? Why was he not prescribed any form of treatment then if he was so emotionally disturbed?

by Megan J. 4/27/2015 10:39:19 PM
Defense Attorney Katherine Spengler: James Holmes had homicidal thoughts as a child.

by anica.padilla 4/27/2015 10:35:53 PM
About defense attorney Katherine Spengler: She graduated from CU Law in 2002. She is adjunct faculty at CU Law teaching trial advocacy and has also lectured about opening statements, but is not teaching this semester. Also defended Austin Sigg, who killed and dismembered Jessica Ridgeway. He was sentenced to life in prison.

by Denver7 4/27/2015 10:33:32 PM
CU Photo of Katherine Spengler

by Denver7 4/27/2015 10:33:29 PM
Defense attorney Katherine Spengler takes over opening statement from public defender Dan King.

by anica.padilla 4/27/2015 10:33:09 PM
"You should not assume this is the way he looked/acted before he was medicated" Defense says thedenverchannel.com/news/movie-the… http://pbs.twimg.com/media/CDocKKOWEAEko-e.jpg

by Phil Tenser via twitter 4/27/2015 10:30:14 PM
Defense describes Holmes' family history of mental illness.

by anica.padilla 4/27/2015 10:29:19 PM
This is ridiculous. With his intelligence, and the fact that he studied mental illness, he would know how to mock schizophrenia. He's not stupid, he knew when his trial would begin, and to methodically put on shows.

by Megan J. 4/27/2015 10:28:11 PM
Have they took in Consideration that all the psychosis is happening to Holmes, because to crime he committed while still sane. Personally maybe the sight of what he just did, Created this NEW psychosis

by Keven Kuzara 4/27/2015 10:27:58 PM
schizophrenia is a dreadful, dreadful disease. His family had to know there was something wrong, The mentally ill have more rights than the average person, so I guess there wasn't much they could do.

by Rebecca Kennedy 4/27/2015 10:27:50 PM
Defense: "This is not the conscious choice of a rational mind. This is about a brain disease."
#theatershooting http://pbs.twimg.com/media/CDobOhvXIAEK0aE.jpg

by Anica Padilla via twitter 4/27/2015 10:25:34 PM
Holmes appears distracted and aloof in court due to the medications he is taking, the public defender says.

by anica.padilla 4/27/2015 10:25:23 PM