CENTENNIAL | The judge in the case of Colorado shooting suspect James Holmes has delayed the trial until next February and acknowledged even that date might be pushed back.

The trial had been proposed for August.

However, all sides agreed Monday the case will take longer now that prosecutors say they’ll seek the death penalty.

Prosecutors want the case wrapped up by spring of next year. But defense attorneys say there’s no way that can happen.

The defense said the trial could take as long as nine months, while prosecutors said it could take four months.

Defense attorney Tamara Brady says the lawyers will do whatever it takes to defend Holmes’ life and don’t want the trial rushed.

“They’re trying to execute our client and we will do what we need to do to save his life,” she said.

Investigators say Holmes methodically stockpiled weapons and ammunition for his assault on a packed midnight screening of “The Dark Knight Rises.”

Also Monday, Chief Judge William Sylvester reassigned the case to a different judge, saying in a court order that as the judicial district’s chief judge, he would not be able to oversee the heavy workload of a death penalty case while managing other judges. He appointed District Court Judge Carlos Samour, Jr. to handle the Holmes case.

Samour said in court Monday that he wants to balance moving the case forward quickly with making sure there are no mistakes.

“I would like us to be aggressive in moving this case along, while at the same time making sure we do this right,” he said.

Samour has handled several high-profile cases in recent years. While other judges often say little from the bench, Samour has been one of the more colorful judges, particularly during sentencing hearings.

In April 2007, Samour lambasted a man convicted of murder in a road rage case for blaming the media, shouting at the man as he handed down his sentence.

A native of El Salvador, Samour has been a judge since 2007. Before that, he was a prosecutor in Denver for 10 years.

Sentinel reporter Brandon Johansson and The Associated Press contributed to this report.