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This photo provided by the University of Colorado shows James Holmes. University spokeswoman Jacque Montgomery says 24-year-old Holmes, who police say is the suspect in a mass shooting at a Colorado movie theater, was studying neuroscience in a Ph.D. program at the University of Colorado-Denver graduate school. Holmes is suspected of shooting into a crowd at a movie theater killing at least 12 people and injuring dozens more, authorities said. (AP Photo/University of Colorado)

CENTENNIAL, Colo. (AP) - Prosecutors in the Colorado theater shootings say laws on insanity and the death penalty are constitutional and don't need any of the explanations requested by the defense.

Attorneys for the state filed their response Wednesday to motions by James Holmes' lawyers saying the laws are vague. The defense also argues the laws violate Holmes' rights by possibly barring him from calling witnesses to testify about his mental health during the trial's penalty phase.

Holmes is charged with killing 12 at a movie theater in July. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty.

A judge entered a standard not guilty plea on Holmes' behalf. He wants to change that to not guilty by reason of insanity.

The judge must approve the change after ruling on defense objections to the laws.


(Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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  • Abuse
    JonF wrote...
    OneWonders
    July 20, 2012 3:01 pm
    Yeah, I don't know where I ever would have gotten the idea you might carry a weapon. Oh right, your INITIAL POST. In the future I will work on my being clueless if you can try and work on your consistency, deal? And guys, just because someone wishes you would leave the gun at home doesn't automatically mean they wish to repeal the second amendment. The world is not black and white no matter how badly you want it to be.
  • Abuse
    klix58 wrote...
    Too all
    July 20, 2012 3:03 pm
    My prayers for the victims as well as thier families. Gun control isn't nor has it ever been what is missing. The criminals don't follow laws and will always have them. The media needs to keep a less sensational attitude towards this so that people like Bloomberg (to name one) will have less to say. More people die in a weekend in CHicago than this....Thats gun control working.
  • Abuse
    wrote...
    If your stupid enough...
    July 21, 2012 8:37 pm
    To go to a Bat Man movie...What else is there to add?
  • Abuse
    2cents wrote...
    well said, klix
    July 22, 2012 5:34 am
    I also can't imagine what it would take, despite bomb-squad training, to enter that apartment to disarm booby traps. Hats off to those guys.
  • Abuse
    OneWonders wrote...
    @JonF, I just looked at my
    July 31, 2012 7:00 am
    "INITIAL POST" under this article, I never said anything about me carrying a gun. Just because I support it, doesn't mean I do. So yeah, I'll be consistent like you asked and that's exactly how I have been. Can you be less clueless for the sake of society though? On your comment about leaving guns at home, every person in that theater left their gun at home but one nutjob that came in armed head to toe. He wasn't a gun nut. If he was a gun nut, he would have known that 100rd drum mags jam and they are worthless unless used as a door stop or paper weight.
    Equal Justice, Not Social Justice.
  • Abuse
    gmcken wrote...
    hair color?
    September 20, 2012 3:02 pm
    Am I the only one who thinks it's ridiculous that his hair color should be the headline?
  • Abuse
    UncleSlappy wrote...
    So what?!
    November 14, 2012 6:42 pm
    That useless bas*ard gave up all his rights when he opened fire on a bunch of innocents. So what if he injured himself to get out of court? That's a legit reason? What about all the people that suffered at the hands of this pathetic excuse for a human being? Drag his crippled a** to court AND GIVE HIM THE DEATH PENALTY! Stop being so leiniant with murderers trying to delay justice. This man deserves no sympathy from anyone and hopefully the next time he tries to escape justice hopefully its because he did the world a favor and hung himself...
  • Abuse
    wrote...
    @onewonders
    January 2, 2013 12:56 pm
    I am all for the 2nd amendment but the law for conceal carry is wrong. I as a citizen should be able to know if you are packing. If you want to carry it is fine with me but have it visible.
  • Abuse
    OneWonders wrote...
    @ wrote
    January 7, 2013 3:33 pm
    Do you have a right to know who broke laws, robbed a home and served time in prison for it and paid their debt to society, who broke laws and now is in AA because they got in trouble once for drunk driving and are taking the right steps to be better, or that your next door neighbor used to be a drug dealer but was sent to prison for 10 years, served their time and was rehabilitated? Answer is NO for these people who broke laws. But you want to track the law-abiding citizens that have not done a thing wrong. That is so backwards don't you think?
    Equal Justice, Not Social Justice.
  • Abuse
    OneWonders wrote...
    And @wrote
    January 7, 2013 3:36 pm
    You could track the law abiding citizens all you want but that isn't gonna stop criminals from doing harm. Hasn't stopped people in NYC or Chicago from illegally caring weapons. And the mass shootings weren't by people who CC but by mentally ill people that shouldn't have had guns, that wanted to go out in a spectacular fashion since the media build these deranged people into celebrities. Your goal of knowing who is CC and OC won't do a thing unless you want to know who to hide behind in case something bad actually happens.
    Equal Justice, Not Social Justice.

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