Some people, including a former NY Times reporter jailed for refusing to reveal her sources, are blaming the public perception of Fox News for a lack of media interest in this case.
That is probably true.
Get over it. This is a big deal. Report on it.
Also, look past the fact that the former NY Times reporter is Judith Miller, who has faced controversy regarding her reporting in the run-up to the Iraq War. That doesn’t matter in this case.
What matters is that a reporter could go to jail for failing to divulge their sources.
Defense attorneys representing Aurora theater shooting suspect James Holmes have offered to have him plead guilty and spend the rest of his life in prison in exchange for avoiding the death penalty, 9NEWS has confirmed. This is only an offer from the defense team.
The two-page filing released on Wednesday goes on to say the prosecution has yet to accept the deal because “it may choose to pursue the death penalty.” The deal hinges completely on the prosecution’s willingness to take the death penalty off the table.
Should prosecutors choose to pursue the death penalty, there is still a widespread belief that Holmes’ defense team will attempt to use an insanity defense to guarantee their client life in a mental health facility instead. Judge William Sylvester has given the prosecution until April 1 to decide whether or not it will pursue the death penalty.
Holmes, 25, will be arraigned at 9 a.m. in a case involving a crime that has transfixed and horrified the nation in its viciousness. The former neuroscience doctoral student at the University of Colorado-Denver is accused of opening fire in a packed movie theater on July 20, killing 12 and wounding about 70. He is charged with 166 counts and could face the death penalty.
He has been held without bail in isolation at the Arapahoe County Jail since his surrender and arrest minutes after the theater shooting.
Late last week, Chief District William B. Sylvester, of Colorado’s 18th Judicial District, paved the way for the arraignment by overruling defense claims that the state’s laws on insanity pleas were unconstitutional.
It is widely expected that Holmes, whom his lawyers have characterized as deeply mentally ill, will plead not guilty by reason of insanity. If he is found to be insane or to have a mental defect, he would avoid the death penalty.
There will be a still camera and a television camera in the courtroom for the hearing.
4people killed in a shooting at a townhome in Aurora, Colorado, including the gunman. The police attempted to negotiate with armed assailant, still barricaded inside the home for hours this morning, until he fired on police, prompting a raid that left him dead at around 9 AM. Three other adults in the home were found dead. This is no doubt a grim and evocative incident for the people of Aurora, the same Colorado town in which a brutal shooting during a midnight screening of The Dark Knight Rises last year, gripping national attention. source
» It gets worse: According to the families of 11 victims, the first $100,000 disbursement wasn’t even given to the victims or their families. It went to 10 local non-profits, at the direction of the Recovery Committee created to manage the donations. “We’re certain that everyone who donated their hard-earned wages intended for 100 percent of the donations to go directly to the victims,” said Tom Teves, who lost his son Alex that night, adding, “Unfortunately that doesn’t seem to be the case.” Gov. Hickenlooper told reporters that he was unaware of the issues with the committee, and “had not heard that some people had received nothing.” He also said his office would take a more proactive approach to monitoring the Recovery Committee going forward.
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University of Iowa re James Holmes: “Do NOT offer admission under any circumstances”
More details from a troubled history.
As Aurora moves forward after the tragedy of July 20, it is our hope that the entire community will participate and benefit from the citywide healing process. Many people have asked about the future of Aurora’s Century 16 theater. We want to know your thoughts. Please take a few minutes to tell us your thoughts. These comments will be shared with Cinemark for consideration in their decision making process.A message from the City of Aurora, Colo. • Asking what the city and theater owner Cinemark should do about its movie theater — where, just a month ago, a deadly shooting changed it forever. Options on the table include tearing the theater down and replacing it with a memorial, or re-opening it under a new name. For comparison’s sake, a 1984 shooting at a California McDonald’s restaurant led that company to raze the building and build a new location nearby. A memorial was eventually placed where the fast-food restaurant was initially located.
Defendant has stated that media coverage which has already occured has, in fact, interfered with both the People’s and Defendant’s investigations.Arapahoe County District Judge William Sylvester • In his response to a recent motion requesting that the judge remove a gag order placed on anyone from the University of Colorado or law enforcement community with direct knowledge of the case being built against James Holmes. He also disagreed with attorney Steve Zansberg — retained by a combination of local media outlets intent on seeing the gag order overturned — who argued that it is in the public’s interest to be able to “monitor the conduct of the judicial branch” throughout the duration of the case. So we may hear little about the case as it’s happening. (EDIT: To be clear, the “defendant” in the case likely refers to the defense, not Holmes himself.) source (via • follow)
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A small arsenal of weapons were removed Monday night from the North Ridgeville home of Scott A. Smith, who was arrested after showing up armed with a gun, ammunition and four knives at a showing of The Dark Knight Rises Saturday night at Regal Cinema in Crocker Park.
Westlake Police Department lieutenant Ray Arcuri said Tuesday afternoon that his department was still going through everything seized from Smith’s home. Here are the highlights:
- Several guns, including pistols, shotguns and rifles.
- “Thousands” of bullets.
- A gas mask.
Police also seized computers from Smith’s home, and are awaiting a search warrant to look through them.
Whoa. That’s not good. (ht John Ness)
Colorado shooting suspect charged: 24 counts of first-degree murder, 116 counts of attempted first-degree murder. (Twelve people died in the shooting, so those murder counts apparently are counting for double.)
Monday morning quarterbacking. Though understandable, coming from a parent of a victim.
Fact is no theater ought to be expected to be prepared for the likes of James Holmes, with his assault rifle, body armor, and gas grenades. Short of militarizing the whole society, this kind of security is simply not possible.
It could be argued that the presence of security guard(s) might have served as a deterrent, but if it resulted in a firefight they’d simply have been the first to die.
As such, the discussion as to how to prevent people like Holmes from acquiring the arsenal he did is a more productive one.
Read more about the inspiration for this comment over here.
(Source: sfgate.com)
I made a bad judgment call with my material last night & regret making a joke at such a sensitive time. My heart goes out to all of the families & friends of the victims.Comedian Dane Cook • Apologizing for making a poorly-timed joke regarding the Aurora shooting, in which he suggested that the shooter was doing the victims a favor by getting them out of a terrible movie. In other words, a joke you can’t really defend at all. (If you want to subject yourself to it, The Daily Caller has video.) Bad form, bro.
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