AURORA | James Holmes is due in court Monday as the two sides in the theater shooting case argue against having cameras in the courtroom during his trial.
Local television stations and newspapers have asked the court to allow a video camera and a still camera inside the courtroom. The prosecution, defense and several victims have argued against cameras in the courtroom.
Holmes is accused of killing 12 and injuring dozens more in a July 2012 shooting rampage at an Aurora movie theater. His trial is set to start in December and last well into 2015.
Holmes has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity and prosecutors are seeking the death penalty.
The notoriety of the Holmes case is so extreme that his trial should be free of cameras, which will attract a lot of outraged and emotional people. The constitution guarantees any accused person a fair trial by a jury of his peers. Cameras in the courtroom (esp. video) will seriously erode the possibility that Holmes can be tried fairly by serious jurors who recognize the gravity of their responsibility in rendering a just verdict.