Attorneys of James Egan Holmes, alleged gunman at the Aurora Dark Knight massacre, filed a motion to sanction prosecutors for "reckless disregard for the truth," as reported by ABC News. Defense attorney Daniel King filed the petition earlier this week. District Judge William Sylvester said that he would set a court hearing on the matter.
Last week, prosecutors Karen Pearson asked the court to issue an order for the university to release all Holmes' academic records, excluding medical information. Pearson also revealed that Holmes had told a classmate that he planned on killing people "when his life was over," and had also made violent threats to a university professor and "those threats were reported to police," as reported by the Huffington Post. Prosecutors also told the court that the 24-year-old was barred from university campus, a statement that the university denies.
Defense claims that the prosecutors are merely set on a "fishing expedition" and are making "reckless" claims about the client without any factual standing.
Although Holmes has yet to make his plea, the growing revelations on his life in the recent past prior to the shootout is only owning more strength to the possible (and expected) plea of mental incompetency.
King also objected to prosecutors bid for a gag order to get access to Holmes records. "They are fishing around to establish a motive. ... The motive is irrelevant...Nothing in those documents will reveal any intent," as reported by the Christian Monitor.
Prosecutors claim that Holmes apparently showed a number of worrisome signs many months prior to the Aurora movie theatre shootout. Prosecutors are arguing that Holmes' deteriorating grades and growing unhappiness as a student might reveal insight into the motive behind the massacre.
Pearson argues that the release of school records, including transcripts, but not medical reports are "All of this is relevant to his decision to withdraw from school, booby-trap his apartment and buy ammunition...What's going on in the defendant's life at the time is extremely relevant to this case," as reported by the Huffington Post. Pearson was insinuating that Holmes was becoming increasing disgruntled with the school, which likely caused him to snap.
Earlier this week, the New York Times released a report of details of the life of alleged "Dark Knight" shooter. The report details testimonies of from fellow students and professors revealing behavioral details about the 24-year-old months before the massacre. The report reveals some insight regarding the mental state of the Ph.D. dropout.
Of striking importance is a testimony from a fellow student, who says that Holmes texted her in July asking her what she knew of dypchoric mania. He told her that he was suffering from the disorder and said "I am bad news," as reported by the New York Times.
The report also says that Holmes showed a fellow student a gun he had purchased in May, which Holmes said was "for protection."
On July 20, at a midnight screening of the cult-inducing Dark Knight Rises film at a movie house in Aurora, Colorado, Holmes, opened fire killing 12 people and injuring 59 others. He was arrested that morning and placed in a detention facility of Arapahoe County in solitary confinement. Holmes is being charged with 12 counts of murder and 116 of attempted murder.
Holmes has not made a plea yet.
