Death Penalty's Impact Off-Limits In Holmes Trial
DENVER (AP) — The judge in the Colorado theater shooting case says lawyers for defendant James Holmes won't be able to present any evidence about how his family would be affected if he's convicted and sentenced to die.
The judge ruled Thursday that such evidence is inadmissible because it wouldn't address Holmes' character, his record or the circumstances of the crime.
Holmes pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to charges of murder and attempted murder in the July 2012 attack on a suburban Denver theater. Twelve people were killed and 70 were injured. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty.
His trial date is up in the air while the two sides argue over the findings of his mandatory sanity evaluation, conducted by the state mental hospital. The findings haven't been made public.
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