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| Colorado Batman gunman James Holmes pleads insanity | Colorado Batman gunman James Holmes pleads insanity |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The man accused of killing 12 people and injuring dozens in the July massacre at a Batman film in Colorado intends to plead not guilty by reason of insanity, his lawyers have said. | The man accused of killing 12 people and injuring dozens in the July massacre at a Batman film in Colorado intends to plead not guilty by reason of insanity, his lawyers have said. |
| Lawyers for James Holmes, 25, said they would ask for the change of plea at a 13 May hearing. | Lawyers for James Holmes, 25, said they would ask for the change of plea at a 13 May hearing. |
| A judge previously entered a not guilty plea after the defence said Mr Holmes was not ready to plead. | A judge previously entered a not guilty plea after the defence said Mr Holmes was not ready to plead. |
| Prosecutors have said they will seek the death penalty. | Prosecutors have said they will seek the death penalty. |
| Mr Holmes is charged with multiple counts of murder and attempted murder in the 20 July attack in Aurora, Colorado. It was one of the worst mass shootings in US history. | Mr Holmes is charged with multiple counts of murder and attempted murder in the 20 July attack in Aurora, Colorado. It was one of the worst mass shootings in US history. |
| The attack took place at the midnight premiere of the newest Batman film in a suburb of Denver. | |
| He is also accused of booby-trapping his apartment with explosive chemical and incendiary devices linked by wires, intended to distract emergency responders from the cinema shooting. | He is also accused of booby-trapping his apartment with explosive chemical and incendiary devices linked by wires, intended to distract emergency responders from the cinema shooting. |
| Medical evaluation | |
| If the judge accepts the new plea, Mr Holmes will be moved to a psychiatric hospital where doctors will determine whether he was insane at the time of the attack. | |
| A jury could still find him guilty despite a medical finding of insanity. | |
| Colorado law defines insanity as the inability to distinguish right from wrong, caused by a diseased or defective mind. | |
| Mr Holmes's lawyers have said at hearings and in court documents that they believe the former student is mentally ill. He was being seen by a psychiatrist before the shooting. | |
| The trial had been scheduled for August, but a judge has pushed it back to February 2014. It is unclear if the new plea will further delay the case. | |
| Prosecutors rejected an earlier offer from Mr Holmes's lawyers to plead guilty in order to avoid execution. | Prosecutors rejected an earlier offer from Mr Holmes's lawyers to plead guilty in order to avoid execution. |
| In a court filing, they accused the defence of violating a gag order by making the offer public, and argued the defence had repeatedly refused to yield information they needed to evaluate the plea offer. |