Aurora, CO – James Holmes, the accused theater massacre shooter, appeared in court on Wednesday. The judge set a preliminary hearing for January 7. The initial court proceeding is expected to last at least several days. The list of witnesses, victims, and relatives of those killed during the Aurora movie theater shooting reportedly number into the hundreds.
Prosecuting attorneys stated that evidence, which will be presented at James Holmes’ preliminary hearing, will include nearly 30 hours of video from the Century 16 multiplex and 911 recordings, according to ABC News .
When James Holmes entered the Arapahoe County courtroom, his appearance was reportedly in stark contrast to earlier images of the accused mass shooter. He now sports a full beard, and his hair is shorter and brown in color.
During the accused Aurora gunman’s hearing on Wednesday, both the defense and the prosecution informed the judge that they were ready to proceed to trial on January 7. Police investigators are expected to testify about Aurora movie theater shootings details which have not yet been released to the public.
The Holmes’ hearing will take place in the largest courtroom available in the Colorado county. The room can accommodate an estimated 100 people. The extraordinary large crowd expected to attend the Aurora shooting trial will be permitted to view the court proceedings via an audio and video feed in multiple rooms at the court house. A jury assembly room which can hold approximately 300 people will also be used for the anticipated overflow crowd.
James Holmes has been charged with 166 counts of murder and attempted murder, according to the Denver Post . Due to the massive number of crime allegations levied against the accused Aurora shooter, prosecutors have reportedly devised a chart to keep the names of victims and their injuries organized.