James Holmes to plea insanity

[davidn3600]

DENVER (AP) — Lawyers for the man accused of killing 12 people and injuring 70 in a Colorado movie theater said Tuesday he wants to change his plea to not guilty by reason of insanity.

Attorneys for James Holmes said in a court filing they plan to formally ask for the change of plea at a May 13 hearing.

A judge in the case previously entered a standard not guilty plea for Holmes. If the judge accepts the insanity plea, Holmes would be sent to the state mental hospital, where doctors would determine whether he was insane at the time of the July 20 shootings.

If the doctors do determine that Holmes was insane, a jury could still find him guilty.

http://news.yahoo.com/colorado-shootings-suspect-enter-insanity-plea-211825401.html

[SoCalMusicLover]

1. The 'Ol Get Out Of Death Penalty Free Card

Nothing like a good drawn out trial where the defense spends 90% of the time trying to prove that he's insane so he can have the good fortune to spend the rest of his life in a mental institution/prison.

[DevonRex]

3. Not in Colorado. Here, the prosecution has to prove he is NOT insane. I believe that's why he

chose this state to come to school and commit the murders. It's one of only 4 with this standard. Perfect for a psychopath who likes to play games. That's all it is for him. A game. I don't believe he's insane at all. I believe he's straight up guilty. And psychopathic. And should serve life in prison.

[HereSince1628]

4. What makes you think his grad school attendance was linked to murders?

Because that is far from the most parsimonious explanation, I'm guessing you know something I've missed.

[DevonRex]

7. Experience.

Last edited Tue May 7, 2013, 08:17 PM - Edit history (1)

There's something about this guy that doesn't fit. He damned well made sure he looked crazy as a loon the night of the shooting and for his first court appearance, which was televised, of course. Orange hair, wide eyes. Couldn't possibly have looked nuttier. But the entire time prior to that he had looked perfectly normal. Had acted normal enough to get by. Funny, too, that he managed to see a psychiatrist a couple of times just prior to the shootings and made sure she documented that he had homicidal thoughts.

Yet, he took care of himself on a daily basis. Went to class. Paid his bills. Ordered his bomb-making materials online. Put together a complex booby-trap system that would have blown up had police entered unawares. Bought guns and lots of ammunition. Cased out the theater. There will be hundreds of examples of all the normal things he did. The abnormal things will only relate to his crime, or establishing his "insanity" just prior to it. Odd, isn't it that his insanity didn't interfere with his plans or his self care. It just made him do this bad thing.

IMO everything he did is an insult to people with real issues. He's a psychopath who knows right from wrong and just does not give a flying fuck.

[Blue_Tires]

2. I was wondering if this earlier story was a ruse...

James Holmes offers guilty plea to avoid death penalty
Source: USA Today

Attorneys for Denver-area theater shooting suspect James Holmes have offered to have him plead guilty and be jailed for life to avoid the death penalty, KUSA-TV is reporting.

The prosecution has not yet responded to the offer, which came in a court filing Wednesday.

"Mr. Holmes is currently willing to resolve the case to bring the proceedings to a speedy and definite conclusion," the filing reads.

The defense team said the case could end Monday if the Arapahoe County district attorney accepts the deal. Prosecutors planned to announce Monday whether they would seek the death penalty.

Holmes, 25, is charged with first-degree murder for the July 20 rampage that killed 12 moviegoers and wounded nearly 60 others at the premiere of the latest Batman film at a multiplex in Aurora.

On March 12, a judge entered a not guilty plea on Holmes' behalf but said Holmes could enter a plea of not guilty by reason of insanity later.

Trial is set for Aug. 5.

Read more: http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/03/27/colorado-theater-killings-guilty-plea-offer/2025809/

[HereSince1628]

5. I don't think so, the prosecuters, after talking to victims and their families,

chose to pursue a trial that could lead to a death penalty.

[LuvNewcastle]

6. The only thing I care about is that I want him

put away for good. If he really is/was insane, and that's really for a judge and jury to determine, a regular prison might not be equipped to deal with such a prisoner. If he's been diagnosed with schizophrenia, he'll be on medication that will have to be given regularly and blood tests, too. If the prison has a ward set aside to deal with prisoners like him, then there shouldn't be any reason for him to be hospitalized for the length of his sentence.