April 1st, 2013
03:35 AM ET

Life, death for Colo. movie theater shooter?

Since the death penalty was reinstated in Colorado more than 35 years ago, the state has executed just one person.

Now comes the case of James Holmes, who faces 166 counts of murder and attempted murder for a shooting at an Aurora movie theater that left 12 people dad and 58 wounded.

If there ever was a poster boy for capital punishment, legal analysts say, the 25-year-old Holmes would fit the bill.

On Monday, prosecutors will decide whether they will accept a defense request to take the death penalty off the table if Holmes pleads guilty.

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Filed under: Crime • Justice • U.S. • World
soundoff (25 Responses)
  1. loganvw7

    It says, the shooting left 12 people dad.

    April 1, 2013 at 4:21 am | Report abuse |
  2. Mary

    Thank you so much for citing the misspelling @ loganvw7
    Now what say you for the issue of the article at hand?
    Issue IS we have no right to take a life but to help those who have obviously strayed wayyy off course from God's law "thou shall not murder" ...
    We in turn have no right as well to take a life (his word did NOT say "unless" , "but", "if" and so on...
    We have taken it upon ourselves to be the authority on who lives and dies ...

    April 1, 2013 at 6:23 am | Report abuse |
  3. Joey Isotta-Fraschini ©™

    @ Mary:
    This is not a Biblical issue. Neither Colorado nor the USA is a theocracy.

    April 1, 2013 at 7:06 am | Report abuse |
  4. Joey Isotta-Fraschini ©™

    Holmes should be put to death with all legally possible speed.

    April 1, 2013 at 7:14 am | Report abuse |
    • Egg Salad Sandwich

      You'd love that, wouldn't you?

      April 1, 2013 at 3:16 pm | Report abuse |
  5. Joey Isotta-Fraschini ©™

    As an alternative to the death penalty, the state might offer Mr. Holmes freedom and immunity to further prosecution on the condition that he repent of his sins and request baptism.

    April 1, 2013 at 7:32 am | Report abuse |
    • banasy©

      This post, JIF, illustrates perfectly why I adore you, dear man.

      April 1, 2013 at 9:43 am | Report abuse |
    • Joey Isotta-Fraschini ©™

      @ banasy:
      Thanks. You made my bad day bright. 🙂

      April 1, 2013 at 1:34 pm | Report abuse |
    • Egg Salad Sandwich

      Get a room.

      April 1, 2013 at 3:16 pm | Report abuse |
    • Mary

      Federal and state does not deal with the rehabilitation or repentance of an individual @ Joey.
      I would have no more right to di ctate whether you live or die, just as Homles or the state of Colorado...

      April 1, 2013 at 7:17 pm | Report abuse |
    • banasy©

      Render unto Ceasar that which is Ceasar's; render unto God that which is God's.
      Jesus was very clear on that: play by Ceasar's rules or pay Ceasar's price.

      April 1, 2013 at 8:22 pm | Report abuse |
  6. ronvan

    JIF: Maybe Mary is having a bad day? Way to many times religion gets thrown into the mix. Humans, sadly, are the only living things on this planet that actively kill each other! For me, personally, it is "an eye for an eye", NOT "turn the other cheek"!

    April 1, 2013 at 7:44 am | Report abuse |
    • Mary

      @ ronvan, It was never intended to be taken literally. It means that secular justice is to be equitable, neither excessively harsh nor excessively lenient.

      April 2, 2013 at 7:17 am | Report abuse |
  7. Joey Isotta-Fraschini ©™

    @ ronvan:
    Greetings. I don't like politics and religion mixed, regardless of the proportions of the mixture.

    April 1, 2013 at 8:24 am | Report abuse |
  8. Nozzle

    Pray for this dude and for his release!

    April 1, 2013 at 3:39 pm | Report abuse |
  9. chrissy

    Release??? Oh he!! no! Only if he is released to the coroner.

    April 1, 2013 at 3:53 pm | Report abuse |
  10. TvNyC

    Life.

    April 1, 2013 at 4:22 pm | Report abuse |
  11. Mary

    It seems exceptionally easy for all to throw stones, but too complicated for anyone to seek the truth of why we have all of these mass killings and or suicides. Vent to the root cause or move on to the next blog

    April 1, 2013 at 7:21 pm | Report abuse |
    • banasy©

      We know what you think the root cause is. That hasn't been proven. However, this man committed a horrendous crime, and he is the one who should pay.
      He should be given a pass? Seriously?

      April 1, 2013 at 8:18 pm | Report abuse |
  12. Ryan

    Kill him, I don't want my tax to pay for him to stay alive.

    April 1, 2013 at 8:51 pm | Report abuse |
    • Monty Python

      Your taxes will be spent keeping him in solitary for years of appeals. Better to put him in GP and let the prison gangs take care of this. Will be lots quicker and cheaper.

      April 1, 2013 at 11:19 pm | Report abuse |
  13. Mary

    No pass @ banasy. And certainly not the sole beneficiary of the death penalty.
    The Doctors and Big Pharma have had their hands on many more mass killings than Holmes could ever imagine.
    There IS a reason we see what wasn't back in our day; logic says it is the meds.

    April 1, 2013 at 9:10 pm | Report abuse |
    • banasy©

      I would be most interested in the assorted studies that have proved this to be conclusively so; that mass killings are definitely linked to pharmaceuticals.
      Thanks.

      April 1, 2013 at 9:50 pm | Report abuse |
    • banasy©

      And I would argue that the families of the victims would disagree that he is the sole "beneficiary" of the DP.

      April 1, 2013 at 9:57 pm | Report abuse |
  14. Mary

    @ Ryan, Wouldn't you like to see all those responsible, pay for this and the countless other killings committed?
    Homes, like so many others are the results or better still the *affect* of the cause. Tired. ttl

    April 1, 2013 at 9:14 pm | Report abuse |
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