Theater shooting trial day 53: Start of the penalty process

Day 53 in the Aurora movie theater shooting trial – People vs. James Eagan Holmes. Today, the penalty phase of the case begins. The jury found Holmes to be legally sane and therefore guilty 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.

3rd & 7 37yd

Objection! Speculation as to the photos "probably" seared into their memory!

by Kristle 7/22/2015 4:09:24 PM
Judge Samour scolding the defense for objecting to the prosecution using PowerPoint slides during closing arguments, and then using slides themselves.

by anica.padilla 7/22/2015 4:09:52 PM
Wow! The DT finally found their fire

by Just Thinkin 7/22/2015 4:09:55 PM
I think the judge is perfectly capable of controlling the trial without Ms. Brady playing cop!

by Suzi 7/22/2015 4:09:57 PM
The PT might be talented enough to not NEED slides, but they have a RIGHT to use them!

by Lori J 7/22/2015 4:10:00 PM
The fact that Mr. Holmes knew there would be children in the theater is somehow speculation or conjecture, Ms. Brady? He was in the theater before going out to dress himself and coming back in shooting...he'd have to be blind NOT to know there were children...I never suspected Ms. Brady was an idiot but this...

by PA Watcher 7/22/2015 4:10:04 PM
Ormans way too passionate but understandably it can sound "too personal" so bring it on Orman!!

by Kristle 7/22/2015 4:10:07 PM
Yikes! that girl is pissed at that guy..lol

by Dennie Carp 7/22/2015 4:10:10 PM
So is it a 5th amendment issue that the judge is not allowing the notebook to go back with jury?

by Lisaparg 7/22/2015 4:10:13 PM
THANK YOU, JUDGE. can we get a stat on how many times judge samour has said 'you can't have it both ways.' ????

by blue 7/22/2015 4:10:16 PM
Defense seems hostile today.

by Aim M 7/22/2015 4:10:17 PM
I think Ms. Brady would have made for a miserable sibling. LOL Can you imagine hearing the issues your sister was complaining about to your Mom or Dad? Yikes!!!

by kdsmith 7/22/2015 4:18:02 PM
She keeps saying different trials. This is 1 trial. Even the judge called it different procedures.

by Suzanne 7/22/2015 4:18:07 PM
Wow! Keep us in suspense!

by Tammy Garrison 7/22/2015 4:18:09 PM
frank. glad you are here today. International of Human Rights Commission has a much higher standard w/ no capital punishment. 18 states adhere at the time; here the laws are pretty much slave days-- someone wants to hang JH from a tree Overall much more scary than a mentally deranged killer, because the culture does sanction legal civil killing

by okx 7/22/2015 4:18:11 PM
how long is the break?

by NeuroNonsense 7/22/2015 4:18:13 PM
Brady vs Brauchler!!

by Kristle 7/22/2015 4:18:16 PM
@Aim M I feel like they're more hostile today because they finally have something to go on in this phase of the trial - that is to say, they have something to defend.

by Molly 7/22/2015 4:18:18 PM
For the purposes of justice I'd like to see this guy get put to death!!! However, it will take years where he will remain in solitary confinement which remember folks IS WHAT HE WANTS. I'd rather see him get life without parole and see him get put in the gen pop and FORCED to be around other people. Plus, a positive to this is he wouldn't make it very long cause the big boys would kill him!

by Hill 7/22/2015 4:18:24 PM
He should not be referred to as Mr. Holmes because that's showing respect which, in my opinion, he does not deserve.

by Liz 7/22/2015 4:18:36 PM
Swivel swivel swivel.

by MyraJ 7/22/2015 4:18:38 PM
Just got here , what did i miss today?

by Tara 7/22/2015 4:18:39 PM
I think he needs to die in the same cruel fashion which he chose to kill.

by Hill 7/22/2015 4:18:42 PM
Can we stop with the comments about Brady's voice? It's not like she can help it. I'm sure she wishes it was different, but it is a medical condition my friend has.

by Suzanne 7/22/2015 4:18:45 PM
I understand that the DT has a really tough job and they are putting their hearts into it. However, I don't think bringing a hundred (sometimes seemingly frivolous, IMO) objections to everything in sight helps either side. I do not envy the DT. Their job has to be emotionally draining and difficult with the circumstances they are dealing with. I also do not think JH has been a particularly helpful defendant with his own defense.

by Suzi 7/22/2015 4:18:50 PM
Didn't the judge tell both the PT and DT yesterday that they were doing a great job...working together? LOL

by kdsmith 7/22/2015 4:18:52 PM
Both sides knew the timeline, I fault the PT for this delay.

by Resa 7/22/2015 4:18:55 PM
how come this isnt live on youtube anymore you guys got the verdict you wanted and its not that important anymore or what?

by peps 7/22/2015 4:25:56 PM
@okx i think you left a word out.

by blue 7/22/2015 4:25:58 PM
@Suzanne, agreed!

by Kels 7/22/2015 4:26:05 PM
I missed yesterday. Was it mostly going over the rest of the instructions?

by Tammy Garrison 7/22/2015 4:26:06 PM
@Suzanne, no this is two trials. They are separate and distinct. In Colorado, if you are seeking the death penalty, you have a guilt/innocence trial, and then a sentencing trial. At each trial the jury is asked to make findings, and the evidence from the first does not necessarily become admitted in the second.

by panda911 7/22/2015 4:26:09 PM
because nothing they have done has been any of their work, or them proving anything. it's been them just objecting to the PT. They waste a lot of time

by AM 7/22/2015 4:26:12 PM
King used "THAT GUY" referring to AC so much in DT's closing that it gave AC a PERFECT rebuttal (Even though it was already great). NOW the DT is going to "put PT on notice" about use of term "that guy" re: JH???? 'Hilarious!!!! Judge's response was great, too. 'Almost sarcastic. ("Well, I didn't hear any objections from the defense before...but ok, prosecution is "on notice" that you'll object & then I will rule...". 'CLASSIC!!!

by fascinated 7/22/2015 4:26:18 PM
@okx or maybe you put in an extra word. proofreading is your friend.

by blue 7/22/2015 4:27:08 PM
The odds of JH being put to death are way up there, in the sense that even if he his sentenced to death the execution itself is far from being a sure fact, so why spend the money and time to discuss something that has almost no chance of happening unless JH does something similar to Timothy McVey and renounce all his appeals. LWOP is de facto what is going to happen so lets save time go for it now.

by Humble Pride 7/22/2015 4:27:13 PM
I almost wonder in a small way if this was DT's attempt at NOT getting their "rarely available " mitigating witnesses in today, thus creating another possibility for taped deposition where jurors can't ask questions...Just maybe...?
I don't know....

by fascinated 7/22/2015 4:27:19 PM
you know i like how they want the death penalty but the chances of him being executed are slim these people dont even have the leathel injection drugs or even if they did they dont have the right kind of drugs i hope they stop the death penalty nation wide just sentence him to life get it over with hes going to have years and years of appeals

by peps 7/22/2015 4:27:30 PM
Power point presentations have been used in all courts for many years. For the defense to object and then use one is disingenuous and smells of double crossing and unfairness.

by Abrandt 7/22/2015 4:27:32 PM
the facts are that there are no facts about insanity because it is never the same, in terms of medical awareness; hence, the difference in opinions by the doctors.

by okx 7/22/2015 4:27:37 PM
@fascinated: That's why it's Brady vs Brauchler.

by Kristle 7/22/2015 4:36:43 PM
fascinate,kind of gives an idea which way the just is gonna rule, doesn't it?

by Tammy Garrison 7/22/2015 4:36:46 PM
@Abrandt, the defense isn't objecting to a PowerPoint. It's objecting to specific slides in the PowerPoint that was tendered to them last night.

by CSP 7/22/2015 4:36:52 PM
LOL @blue

by Kristle 7/22/2015 4:36:53 PM
@Abrant- nicely put

by Victoria 7/22/2015 4:36:55 PM