Colo. prosecutor says trial will be long process
By P. SOLOMON BANDA, Associated Press
Jul 23, 2012 11:16 AM CDT
James E. Holmes appears in Arapahoe County District Court, Monday, July 23, 2012, in Centennial, Colo. Holmes is being held on suspicion of first-degree murder, and could also face additional counts of aggravated assault and weapons violations stemming from a mass shooting last Friday in a movie theater...   (Associated Press)

A Colorado district attorney says it will likely be at least a year before the suspect in a movie theater attack stands trial.

District attorney Carol Chambers says it will be months before a decision is made on the death penalty. He will be charged next Monday.

James Holmes' eyes drooped and he blinked rapidly, at times opening his eyes widely. He was unshaven as he sat staring down. His hair was dyed reddish orange.

Chambers says she has no information on whether Holmes is on medication.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

The Colorado movie theater shooting suspect showed little emotion as he made his first court appearance handcuffed with reddish orange hair.

James Holmes was wide-eyed, frowning and unshaven as he sat staring down. At one point he closed his eyes as a judge spoke.

He appeared after being accused of the shooting rampage at a Colorado movie theater that killed 12 people and injured 58 others.

The judge says he will be formally charged next Monday.

Authorities say the 24-year-old former graduate student is refusing to cooperate and it could take months to learn what prompted the horrific attack.

District attorney Carol Chambers was set to speak after the hearing.

Investigators say they found a Batman mask inside Holmes' booby-trapped apartment after the attack.

Video of the hearing was streamed live on the Internet and television but there were problems with the audio feed,

See 1 more photo