The long trial of Colorado cinema gunman James Holmes has finally entered its closing stages, as lawyers from both the prosecution and the defense get set to deliver their closing arguments to the jurors this Tuesday.
Holmes' trial has gone for quite some time, with a number of issues that emerged which made the court processes difficult. Just recently, an HNGN article covered the dismissal of yet another juror from the trial, over concerns that she had not entirely been open about facts relating to the case.
Going on two-and-a-half years now, the court proceedings had to go through a mountain of evidence, on top of the prosecution's decision to seek the death penalty and Holmes' plea of not guilty by reason of insanity, reports Oklahoma News.
During a midnight screening of the movie "The Dark Knight Rises" in the Denver suburb of Aurora, Holmes opened fire on the audience, killing 12 people. Fifty-eight members of the audience were also injured by the initial bursts of gunfire, while 12 others were injured as they tried to escape from the theater, according to the Financial Express.
Holmes has been charged with 24 counts of murder and 140 counts of attempted murder, as well as possession of explosives. He is being charged two counts for each person killed as well as two for each person that was injured.
Prosecutors and the defense are allotted two hours each to present their final arguments by Arapahoe County District Court Judge Carlos Samour. Former Colorado prosecutor Bob Grant stated that the prosecution will very well focus on the meticulous planning before the attack.
"The district attorney will argue although the defendant is mentally ill, he is not insane under the law, and society deserves its pound of flesh from him," he said.
Colorado criminal defense lawyer Mark Johnson, on the other hand, believes that the defense will likely focus on Holmes' psychosis, which experts have confirmed.
"It could be argued that despite his well thought-out preparation, someone who would go to such lengths with no lucid motive is insane," he said.
