Months-long juror screening begins in Colorado cinema massacre case

By Keith Coffman DENVER (Reuters) - Lawyers in the murder trial of Colorado theater gunman James Holmes began individual questioning of prospective jurors in the death-penalty case on Wednesday, a process scheduled to take four months to complete. An initial screening of thousands of potential jurors based on a questionnaire is finished, and prosecutors and public defenders started querying the nearly 1,000 people left in the jury pool for the case. Holmes has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to murder and attempted murder charges for fatally shooting 12 moviegoers and wounding dozens more inside a Denver-area theater during a screening of a Batman film in July 2012. Prosecutors have said if he is convicted, they will seek the death penalty for the 27-year-old former neuroscience graduate student, who appeared in court on Wednesday wearing a blue striped shirt and black slacks. Arapahoe County District Court Judge Carlos Samour has said each side will get 20 minutes to quiz each prospective juror, with a target of getting through 12 a day, so roughly 960 people will be screened in the next 16 weeks. From that number, the list will be pared to between 100 and 150, and ultimately 12 jurors and 12 alternates will be impaneled for the trial. A young woman was the first potential juror questioned on Wednesday, and both prosecutors and Holmes' attorneys allowed her to proceed to the next stage. Holmes, who according to his lawyers was undergoing a psychotic episode when he opened fire, has appeared in court during jury selection wearing civilian clothes and tethered to the courtroom floor. Former Colorado district attorney Bob Grant said prospective jurors will be asked about their views on capital punishment, an insanity defense and whether they can focus on the evidence presented rather what has been reported by the media. The key is finding people who can set aside their personal views and agree to follow the law, said Grant, who prosecuted the only death-row inmate executed in Colorado in 48 years. “Anyone who says they believe in an eye-for-an-eye and don’t care what the law says, or those who oppose the death penalty under any circumstances will be gone,” he said. Samour told lawyers for both sides to prepare to make their opening statements in late spring. (Additional reporting by Alex Dobuzinskis, Editing by Cynthia Johnston and Bill Trott)