Theater shooting trial day 55: Phase 2 continues with defense witnesses

Defense attorneys will continue to call witnesses in the first full day of phase 2, where they are trying to show mitigating circumstances sufficient to convince the jury to spare their client's life. James Holmes was convicted last week of the 2012 Aurora movie theater shooting in which 12 people were killed and 70 were injured. Jurors also agreed with the prosecutors that sufficient aggravating circumstances were present to move forward to this stage.

3rd & 7 37yd

Barbara Martin says she saw gunman and his sister interact. Didn't exhibit sibling rivalry

by Phil Tenser 7/24/2015 6:07:39 PM
- Objection
Barbara Martin describes Arlene as "a wonderful, caring, compassionate human being." She tears up and says objection to story about Martin's divorce is sustained

by Phil Tenser 7/24/2015 6:08:14 PM
@JodieNJ---Absolutely. It is rare, and it usually happens only when the jury is not present; however, Holmes has had several private giggle-fests with Spengler and occasionally he has had a few laughs with Nelson.

by flip 7/24/2015 6:08:20 PM
so we get all this - how are the parents going to testify that there were severe emotional problems with Jimmy. Of course they get to see all this testimony

by mandi 7/24/2015 6:08:39 PM
um .... awkward

by polisalwaysright 7/24/2015 6:08:58 PM
Id like to ask the parents WHY did you tell him not to talk.. after the move

by Tia 7/24/2015 6:08:59 PM
The feed must be on a delay, bc I see posts telling me what was said before it is actually said! LOL

by Brenda Cash 7/24/2015 6:09:00 PM
theres no need to be rude to someone just because they dont believe exactly the way you do

by emma 7/24/2015 6:09:01 PM
Kudos to Judge S., once again. I do not have ADHD, but I think it would take the patience of Job to appear to be continually engaged in the testimony.

by Mr.D. 7/24/2015 6:09:15 PM
Barbara Martin says she trusted the gunman to pet sit

by Phil Tenser 7/24/2015 6:09:22 PM
Barbara Martin also asked him to help with some landscaping

by Phil Tenser 7/24/2015 6:09:38 PM
To the court: "Your honor, I object on the grounds that this testimony is making me gag."

by flip 7/24/2015 6:10:11 PM
what?!?! what's wrong with a german shepherd dog - not like a pit bull

by mandi 7/24/2015 6:10:13 PM
@ Brenda - Phil has special powers! : ) LOL

by Suzanne 7/24/2015 6:10:21 PM
This feed is sometimes delayed as much as 30 seconds. I can watch the feed from the TV and it is ahead of this one.

by vt 7/24/2015 6:10:34 PM
@vt: It all depends on buffering speed. My notes are in real-time for the signal I am recording, so that my notes match up later. But every internet speed may buffer differently

by Phil Tenser 7/24/2015 6:10:46 PM
@ me , Like Clancy said, we all deserve to be here for whatever reason it is. Btw "best comment of the day was during break- "They are trying to find an elderly person he helped across the street when he was 8 years old"

by Acegirl 7/24/2015 6:11:18 PM
Wow JH has a green thumb.

by Humble Pride 7/24/2015 6:11:19 PM
Barbara Martin says gunman wasn't the kind of student/child who got in trouble or wanted attention

by Phil Tenser 7/24/2015 6:11:39 PM
@Me... it was only suggested yesterday to you that this might not be the best format for you... since you always feel that everyone is always picking on you!!

by LG 7/24/2015 6:11:40 PM
"I think he was perfectly happy doing whatever his pastimes were, I understood he liked the compute rand video games" Barbara Martin

by Phil Tenser 7/24/2015 6:12:01 PM
PT should ask each witness - how do you feel about JH and what he did now?

by mandi 7/24/2015 6:12:05 PM
Barbara Martin says "he didn't give them any trouble at all"

by Phil Tenser 7/24/2015 6:12:15 PM
Barbara Martin says she is still close with the Holmes family, considers them all to be her friends

by Phil Tenser 7/24/2015 6:12:25 PM
I'm sure happy I don't have to rely on HLN for coverage of this trial. What a circus side show the Jodi Arias trial was....I hate HLN...lol

by Me 7/24/2015 6:12:31 PM
can't wait for cross for this witness

by bob 7/24/2015 6:12:32 PM
No cross examination

by Phil Tenser 7/24/2015 6:12:40 PM
@LG A statement to go elsewhere is picking on somebody. And it's real nastiness.

by Clancy 7/24/2015 6:13:12 PM
she said they were not friends but work mates. then later said they were friends

by bob 7/24/2015 6:13:27 PM
PA, he has a constitutional right to present witnesses, but not by video testimony. That is generally a hard fought issue. Being out of state is not usually a good enough reason for using video testimony.

by Sophiamtn@gmail.com 7/24/2015 6:13:32 PM
Thanks Phil! That makes sense.

by vt 7/24/2015 6:13:33 PM
CO does have a vile social history, what little I know of it. It goes with the southern states on issues like this I wouldn't want to live around neighbors without knowing they were DP advocates, if for no other reason than the DP does not consider justice. Laws change, but CO has yet to abolish it, forever. Justice is for the purpose of redemption of the criminal to change behavior, to be valuable to society. Justice is not punishment. Punishment by DP is always revenge by citizens. Comments are not related to anything other than DP, which is banned in most developed countries of the world. Except, USA, China, Iran, and North Korea.

by okx 7/24/2015 6:13:54 PM
All this shows is that he was perfectly normal and not mentally defective. That perhaps he murdered those people because he got rejected by his school and his first real girlfriend.

by Cindy L 7/24/2015 6:13:55 PM
they are all "friends" of JH but never visited him in jail...

by mandi 7/24/2015 6:13:56 PM
- New Witness
The defense calls Gabriel Menchaca

by Phil Tenser 7/24/2015 6:13:57 PM
Menchaca says he was previously a camp counselor at same camp where gunman worked

by Phil Tenser 7/24/2015 6:14:16 PM
this takes great courage from these witnesses to come in here and support him after this horrific act....I respect them...they will be judged so harshly

by A.L. 7/24/2015 6:14:48 PM
Menchaca says he remembers the gunman from 2008

by Phil Tenser 7/24/2015 6:14:49 PM
@sophia, maybe you missed this morning but a juror got sick and the trial was postponed for her...the judge allowed this because these people were in town ready to testify and would have been unfair to keep them at least three more days and/or to deny JH the opportunity to present their statements

by PA Watcher 7/24/2015 6:15:24 PM
Menchaca says children were up to 12 you at the camp

by Phil Tenser 7/24/2015 6:15:25 PM
The DP debate / opinions are getting a little old at this point.

Nobody is changing anyones opinions here.

by Mark 7/24/2015 6:15:33 PM
recent acquaintance worked with JH 8 years ago.

by Humble Pride 7/24/2015 6:16:03 PM
@mark I agree

by emma 7/24/2015 6:16:08 PM
@ Mark - Amen

by Suzanne 7/24/2015 6:16:09 PM
Menchaca says the camp mission was to "make 'em have a good time, enjoy the summer"

by Phil Tenser 7/24/2015 6:16:27 PM