On March 27, Aurora theater shooter James Holmes entered a guilty plea to avoid the death penalty, but prosecutors believe it’s a “publicity stunt” that “may violate gag orders the attorneys signed in the case.”
In fact, prosecutors responded with a 12-page motion that denies that the plea constitutes a legitimate offer.
Instead the prosecutors believe defense attorneys could be trying to draw the court into a public spectacle surrounding plea negotiations. Moreover, the prosecutors asked if the plea was filed as part of “a calculated attempt to improperly inject the issue” into public debate as well.
Doug Wilson, head of the Colorado Public Defenders Office, has suggested Holmes’ defense attorneys “might not have told victims and families of the shooting that a plea offer was on the table.”
Holmes faces charges for “166 felony counts of murder, attempted murder, and other felony charges.” The next hearing is set for April 1.
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