CENTENNIAL | Prosecutors and lawyers for James Holmes continued to argue Monday over just how many witnesses prosecutors plan to call at the accused theater shooter’s trial next year.
During a brief hearing Monday morning, the defense renewed their request for prosecutors to provide a “good faith” witness list that pares down the number of possible witnesses from the nearly 4,000 names on the list now.
The defense wanted that list within a few weeks, but prosecutors said that was not possible. The prosecution asked for a January deadline to submit a list, but agreed to an early December deadline.
Officials from the Colorado Mental Health Institute at Pueblo were subpoenaed to appear at the hearing Sept. 30 with documents regarding Holmes’ psychiatric evaluation there this summer, but Judge Carlos Samour delayed those subpoenas until next week.
Lawyers from the Attorney General’s office have objected to parts of the subpoenas for clinicians at the hospital. The defense has also objected to the subpoenas.
Samour is expected to rule on the subpoenas later this week.
State doctors have issued a report on Holmes’ sanity, but that report remains sealed. The two sides didn’t discuss the report Sept. 30, other than the defense saying they expect to file several motions regarding the report in the coming weeks.
Holmes appeared in court Monday and sat silently at the defense table wearing a red jail jumpsuit, his hands and feet shackled. His face was clean shaven and his brown hair slicked back.
The former neuroscience graduate student is accused of killing 12 and wounding dozens more during a shooting rampage at an Aurora movie theater last year. He has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity. He is due in court again Oct. 7.
Prosecutors have said that if Holmes is convicted at trial next year, they plan to seek the death penalty.