For Colorado theater gunman James Holmes, storming into the premiere of the “Dark Knight” and fatally shooting 12 people can only warrant one type of punishment.
PHOTOS: Prayers For Aurora: Not Guilty Plea Entered For James Holmes
The death penalty.
“For James Eagan Holmes, justice is death,” the Arapahoe County district attorney, George Brauchler, said in court on Monday.
The decision was made by Brauchler after consultations with dozens of victims and their families. Once the decision was read, many of the victims began to cry.
In deciding to pursue the death penalty against Mr. Holmes, prosecutors rejected a plea offer floated last week by Mr. Holmes’ lawyers, in which he would have plead guilty to the shooting in exchange for life in prison with no chance of parole.
Now the defense might try to enter an insanity plea, but it is not immediately clear if they will do so. His lawyers have called him mentally ill and have strongly suggested that they will center their defense on his mental state.
With little doubt that Mr. Holmes was the gunman, an insanity defense may be his lawyers’ only option.
SOURCE: NYT
