The Colorado judge overseeing the Aurora movie theater shooting case granted prosecutors’ request today to have a new psychiatric exam performed on gunman James Holmes – who has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity.
Holmes’ attorneys have admitted he is responsible for the July 20, 2012, attack that left a 12 dead and 70 injured, but said he was having a “psychotic episode” during the incident.
Judge Carlos Samour said he found “significant deficiencies” with the first evaluation of Holmes involving a “lack of data” along with the doctor’s “conclusions and findings” – and ordered a new exam to determine whether Holmes “was insane on the date of the offenses charged.”
The order noted that the first evaluation performed by Dr. Jeffrey Metzner on behalf of the Colorado Mental Health Institute at Pueblo, was “incomplete and inadequate.” (PDF)
But nearly all of the judge’s reasoning is blacked out of the publicly released copy of the order.
Samour ordered that the state appoint a new psychiatrist or forensic psychologist by March 10 and have a report ready no later than July 11.
Trial was originally scheduled to start this month but has been on hold because prosecutors asked for the new exam.
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