Aurora Shooter still not in trial.

[Genx87]

I wonder if some sort of justice system, where the state is allowed to fast track their case under certain criteria, would be Constitutional. "We have you on video tape! You were tackled at the scene - there's no chance of misidentification. This is what you did, it's on video tape. This is, word for word what the law says. The law says to prove you guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. We've demonstrated you're guilty beyond ANY doubt."

Tweak this idea to make it Constitutional, and we can save a lot of the Court's time & money.

And who gets to determine the fast track? The state itself? No conflict of interest there. Bad idea is bad.

 

[moonbogg]

Jesus Christ, just shoot the son of a bitch.

 

[Atomic Playboy]

In any event I don't believe he is a person who should ever be out of custody, because his mental illness seems to make him so dangerous.

I know you're just being lawyerly, but come on now; it "seems to make him dangerous"? No, it makes him dangerous. There's no "seems" about it. We have the evidence. I'm pretty sure you can state something like that definitively after a crazy person guns down a theater full of people for no reason. You don't need to couch everything in terms of uncertainty; sometimes, we just know.

 

[Moonbeam]

Jesus Christ, just shoot the son of a bitch.

I know, I know. All this fucking gray matter in my head just gets in the way of my need for instant gratification. It's just not fair. Why do I have to weigh this and that. I like my lollipops to come with edible rappers. Just because sometime in history some innocent people got sent away and decided that folk should be innocent until proven guilty???????? What sort of shit is that.

 

[IronWing]

You're looking for efficiency gains from government, you've already lost.

Government inefficiency is the last bastion of freedom.

 

[Moonbeam]

I know you're just being lawyerly, but come on now; it "seems to make him dangerous"? No, it makes him dangerous. There's no "seems" about it. We have the evidence. I'm pretty sure you can state something like that definitively after a crazy person guns down a theater full of people for no reason. You don't need to couch everything in terms of uncertainty; sometimes, we just know.

Yeah, sometimes we just know, like the CBD know everything instantly by gut feeling. When you know and reach for the one ring of power, however, you don't know anything. Truth without humility is what insanity is all about. Nothing is perfect but our founders saw that having your day in court is better than vigilantism. Our system is dependent of folk who have cultivated the capacity not to rush to judge. You don't want a lawyer who takes one look at you and says to himself, this fucker is guilty or if he does to have it reflected in his words and actions, I wouldn't think.

 

[Atomic Playboy]

Yeah, sometimes we just know, like the CBD know everything instantly by gut feeling. When you know and reach for the one ring of power, however, you don't know anything. Truth without humility is what insanity is all about. Nothing is perfect but our founders saw that having your day in court is better than vigilantism. Our system is dependent of folk who have cultivated the capacity not to rush to judge. You don't want a lawyer who takes one look at you and says to himself, this fucker is guilty or if he does to have it reflected in his words and actions, I wouldn't think.

Absolutely. But I would want a lawyer to look at a guy who just shot a whole bunch of people and think "that guy is definitely dangerous." Not necessarily "guilty," but I think "dangerous" is a fair statement to make in that situation. If a lawyer looked at a guy who just shot a whole bunch of people and turned to me and asked "do you think that guy might be dangerous?" I'd petition for a change of counsel. That guy's too wishy-washy to effectively represent anything.

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

Absolutely. But I would want a lawyer to look at a guy who just shot a whole bunch of people and think "that guy is definitely dangerous." Not necessarily "guilty," but I think "dangerous" is a fair statement to make in that situation. If a lawyer looked at a guy who just shot a whole bunch of people and turned to me and asked "do you think that guy might be dangerous?" I'd petition for a change of counsel. That guy's too wishy-washy to effectively represent anything.

What I mean is this: He is obviously, demonstrably dangerous. Whether or not his mental illness created that dangerousness is the issue. My sense is that it probably is, and that he will be found NGRI, but not released during his lifetime due to his dangerousness. If his mental illness isn't the cause of the incident, he will get life in prison for 12 counts of first-degree murder.

 

[bshole]

What I mean is this: He is obviously, demonstrably dangerous. Whether or not his mental illness created that dangerousness is the issue. My sense is that it probably is, and that he will be found NGRI, but not released during his lifetime due to his dangerousness. If his mental illness isn't the cause of the incident, he will get life in prison for 12 counts of first-degree murder.

They are going for the death penalty....

On March 12, 2013, a Colorado judge entered a plea of not guilty when Holmes' attorney claimed that his client was not prepared to enter a plea.[4] On March 27, 2013, Holmes's attorneys said he would plead guilty to avoid the death penalty, but the following day prosecutors said they are not ready to accept the offer. On the following Monday, prosecutors said they would seek the death penalty. He pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity[5] on June 4, 2013, which the judge accepted. The trial is scheduled for December 2014.

 

[Mai72]

The whole incident was premeditated.

He's guilty and I wouldn't be surprised if he got the death penalty.

 

[zinfamous]

These guys just have to get in line. Lots of dangerous criminals with drug possession charges, 7-11 gum thieves ahead of him.

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

They are going for the death penalty....

Ah - I didn't recall of the top of my head whether they had the death penalty in CO. Certainly as long as they have it I would expect the prosecution to pursue it in this incident.

 

[Carson Dyle]

What difference does it make? He's not going anywhere.

 

[shortylickens]

What difference does it make? He's not going anywhere.

That is the absolute worst excuse for keeping the courts tied up indefinitely.

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

That is the absolute worst excuse for keeping the courts tied up indefinitely.

This is not about keeping the courts tied up, it's about not rushing to try a particular case. I think it is a damned good reason not to be in a hurry to try a man facing the death penalty on one of the most serious crimes in the United States in the past several years. Both sides need to be fully prepared, as they will (very likely) only get one chance to get this right. As long as he's in jail I see no problem with it.

 

[Jhhnn]

That is the absolute worst excuse for keeping the courts tied up indefinitely.

So the justice system grinds to a halt behind delays in this case? Really?

I rather suspect that Holmes is paranoid schizophrenic, like the unabomber.

OTOH, any segment of the population that declares Louie Gohmert, Michelle Bachmann & a host of other fringe whack notables as not crazy would likely extend that even to him.

It's a big tent republican kinda thing.

 

[DCal430]

The thing is he has been evaluated and has been found to NOT have schizophrenia or any similar mental illness. Unlike the Arizona shooter was found to have severe case of schizophrenia.

 

[Jhhnn]

The thing is he has been evaluated and has been found to NOT have schizophrenia or any similar mental illness. Unlike the Arizona shooter was found to have severe case of schizophrenia.

Meh. Holmes has a long history of being treated for mental illness. The guy is a fucking fruitcake.

Seeking the death penalty for Holmes is just grandstanding & pandering to bloodlust by the DA.

Judged sane or insane, nobody will release Holmes from behind bars, ever. Death penalty or not, seeking it is a waste of taxpayer resources in light of the plea offer from the Defense.

 

[DCal430]

Meh. Holmes has a long history of being treated for mental illness. The guy is a fucking fruitcake.

Seeking the death penalty for Holmes is just grandstanding & pandering to bloodlust by the DA.

Judged sane or insane, nobody will release Holmes from behind bars, ever. Death penalty or not, seeking it is a waste of taxpayer resources in light of the plea offer from the Defense.

He could have been treated for depression. All we know is an independent court psychiatrist says he doesn't have schizophrenia or any similar illness. He has been ruled mentally competent to stand trial.

 

[Jhhnn]

He could have been treated for depression. All we know is an independent court psychiatrist says he doesn't have schizophrenia or any similar illness. He has been ruled mentally competent to stand trial.

Not exactly. The psych evals are still under seal, so we really don't know what they say.

http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_2...use-psychiatrist-bias-james-holmes-evaluation

http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_26986439/judge-says-second-james-holmes-sanity-exam-undercuts

We won't know until it comes to trial. It's not like this is Texas. If the jury has any doubts about Holmes sanity they won't ask for the death penalty.

 

[Jhhnn]

Arapahoe County prosecutors & cops are already massaging the materials that will be presented to the jury, including the official mug shot-

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/20/james-holmes-mugshot-new-_n_1902296.html

They're desperate for blood.

 

[moonbogg]

I know, I know. All this fucking gray matter in my head just gets in the way of my need for instant gratification. It's just not fair. Why do I have to weigh this and that. I like my lollipops to come with edible rappers. Just because sometime in history some innocent people got sent away and decided that folk should be innocent until proven guilty???????? What sort of shit is that.

Like I said. Just shoot the filthy shit. Use a small caliber though. He's not worth wasting any decent ammo on.

 

[piasabird]

So do hippies in the Army have a right to long hair? No they don't. Only reason legitimate for a beard is a medical condition often found in black people which causes hairs to curl and become ingrown if you shave all the time.

 

[Bitek]

This is not about keeping the courts tied up, it's about not rushing to try a particular case. I think it is a damned good reason not to be in a hurry to try a man facing the death penalty on one of the most serious crimes in the United States in the past several years. Both sides need to be fully prepared, as they will (very likely) only get one change to get this right. As long as he's in jail I see no problem with it.

Meh. Holmes has a long history of being treated for mental illness. The guy is a fucking fruitcake.

Seeking the death penalty for Holmes is just grandstanding & pandering to bloodlust by the DA.

Judged sane or insane, nobody will release Holmes from behind bars, ever. Death penalty or not, seeking it is a waste of taxpayer resources in light of the plea offer from the Defense.

That's why I've come to believe the death penalty is a waste of time and money (let alone the moral ambiguity of empowering the State to kill people with less than perfect accuracy.)

My friend was murdered by Nathan Dunlap in the infamous Chuck E Cheese shooting also in Aurora back in the 90s. Like everyone, I was angry and sad for my friend, his family and for all of us. I signed the petition to ask for the death penalty at the funeral. That was some 20 years ago.

Eventually life moved on, and the fate of the murderer goes to the back of your mind. Then his execution date comes near, and everything is back in the news. Nothing you really want to remember. He's grown old and remorseful, but about 5 bullets too late.
Now it's a new controversy, more debate, even gets into the governor's race.

Honestly, i was much happier not ever having to think about Dunlap again. This far removed, his death serves no solice. It was better just knowing in the back corners of my mind he was rotting away somewhere.

Murderers don't deserve to live, OTOH the needed process for the death penalty just inflicts more wounds.

They should have just taken the plea and dropped this killer in the same hole Dunlap sits in and let everyone move on to remember the people they lost, not the person who took them.