The Joker shoots 71 people at Batman premiere

[KingsGambit]

why does he have public defenders? He premeditated an act of terrorism which resulted in multiple deaths just for kicks.
come on Colorado.
someone commented on the internet "back in the wild west days anyone found guilty of murder,was hanged the next day at sun rise. this animal will enjoy his life for years to come even when he is found guilty"
and "we know that "swift justice" will not be delivered. It never is in these situations. This will go on for what will seem like forever in contrast to the split seconds that took lives and maimed innocent people"

Key term: Anyone found guilty of murder. That requires a fair trial. And the Supreme Court has ruled that anyone charged with a crime and who cannot afford a lawyer will be given access to one.

[princesa]

Key term: Anyone found guilty of murder. That requires a fair trial. And the Supreme Court has ruled that anyone charged with a crime and who cannot afford a lawyer will be given access to one.

Fair trial? I don't agree with the Supreme Court here. Why should we be so 'fair' to him? There should be exceptions.

[princesa]

There isn't ever going to be justice no one can give true repayment to the people who lost their loved ones.

absolutely

Does he deserve his day in court? Yes, so does everyone constitutionally, and then he has the choice to keep or wave his Miranda rights.

I hope he doesn't have a prolonged court hearing, a swift decision of a severe punishment to serve as an example to others who might be now swayed to follow in his footsteps to gain notoriety.

And absolutely I pray that in all of this those who lost their loved ones or are wounded will see God in a powerful and new way

Not sure I understand

[Sparko]

I am going with "evil" - he was sane enough to plan his rampage very thoroughly, even to wiring up his apartment so well that the bomb squad took days to disarm.

[Darth Executor]

Fair trial? I don't agree with the Supreme Court here. Why should we be so 'fair' to him? There should be exceptions.

Because laws are not passed to deal with specific individuals, they are passed to deal with generalities. Caution is a good thing. In this case we know it was him and the process virtually guarantees there will be punishment. But sometimes it's not so clear cut, and when it isn't, having a proper investigation is a good thing even if it takes more time. It's not good to send innocent people to jail. I think you should read my signature and relax.

[princesa]

Because laws are not passed to deal with specific individuals, they are passed to deal with generalities. Caution is a good thing. In this case we know it was him and the process virtually guarantees there will be punishment. But sometimes it's not so clear cut, and when it isn't, having a proper investigation is a good thing even if it takes more time. It's not good to send innocent people to jail. I think you should read my signature and relax.

you and your signature make a good point, thanks,

[Seasanctuary]

Fair trial? I don't agree with the Supreme Court here. Why should we be so 'fair' to him? There should be exceptions.

It's not always about what a criminal deserves but what our response does to us.

[Darth Executor]

It's not always about what a criminal deserves but what our response does to us.

You should put that on a photograph of the sun rising and share it on Facebook.

[Pilgrim]

As usual, this incident is being used to score political points and further political agendas. For example, by trying to blame this on the Tea Party:

ABC News

Stephanolpoulos: I'm going to go to Brian Ross. You've been investigating the background of Jim Holmes here. You found something that might be significant.

Ross: There's a Jim Holmes of Aurora, Colorado, page on the Colorado Tea Party site as well, talking about him joining the Tea Party last year. Now, we don't know if this is the same Jim Holmes. But it's Jim Holmes of Aurora, Colorado.

Stephanolpoulos: Okay, we'll keep looking at that. Brian Ross, thanks very much.

© source where applicable

New America Media:

New America Media

The moment that 12 persons were gunned down and nearly 60 wounded in the Aurora, Colorado movie theater massacre, the buzz hit that the alleged shooter was a possible Tea Party member. The rumor was false. There is no immediate evidence that alleged shooter James Holmes was anything more than a disgruntled, frustrated, fantasy acting-out, near drop-out, college grad student. They also loudly protest that they should not be held accountable for the deranged acts of a Holmes or Jared Loughner, the accused shooter of former Arizona congresswoman Gabrielle Gifford. They are right. The individuals that committed the blood drenched acts are not Tea Party activists, or even members.

Link

© source where applicable

Sounds reasonable, but it quickly devolves into a "now while the Tea Party isn't technically responsible, they are always using violent gun-based rhetoric, and that sort of thing does lead to gun violence, so, you know...

New America Media

The litany of violence inciting signs, posters, caricatures, and bulls eye ringed targets of President Obama, and the numerous, bellicose demonstrations and protests of gun controls that have been staples at some Tea Party protests, have drilled home the public perception that the Tea Party does have more than a faint relationship to the murderous acts of loose hinged, gun crazed types.

...

One expert noted that violent rhetoric and media saturation of it create “a rhetorical climate” in which unstable persons that are not able to balance messages that they see and hear may act out their frustrations and violent impulses. They specifically cited the firearms imagery Sarah Palin conveyed with her dubious map marked with crosshairs and her instructions to "RELOAD!"

Link

© source where applicable

It concludes: "The Colorado Tea Party and national Tea Party leaders are not directly responsible for the monstrous violence Holmes is accused of. But Tea Party leaders and followers that have made a fetish of violent gun talk and toting shouldn’t be surprised when the inevitable violent outburst claims the lives of innocents and that the finger instantly points their way."

I.e., "The Tea Party isn't technically responsible, but in a way, they are." Stay classy.

I agree with you. But also wanted to point out the political bent in your own post in that you conveniently forget to quote the sources arguing the politics the other way. Heck, it was only hours after we all heard of it that Ty was on the tweb Facebook page wondering how it would have been different if people just had more guns on them.

Bottom line is that neither more nor less guns or laws about guns would have changed this. Only as people come to know Jesus will things like this begin to change. Just my $0.02

[Pilgrim]

I think they'll have a difficult time trying the insanity defense with this one. The Arizona shooter left himself a trail of crazy that even the IRS would envy in terms of documentation. This guy flew in under the radar, dotted his I's and crossed his T's as far as the procurement of his weapons and stuff. That doesn't scream 'crazy' as much as 'just plain evil.' Even his current behavior in jail--which appears to be crazy--looks a lot to me like someone who wants to act crazy and be treated crazy...but his quiet, mild-mannered past until Thursday night says otherwise.

Though a video has surfaced of him from a few years ago at a science camp talking about altering the past and events in the mind versus events in reality. So he could well be a little bit nuts, but mostly evil.

It doesn't have to be an either or thing and crazy, contrary to what people think, does not mean stupid or random. I think it's crazy and evil.

[Pilgrim]

why does he have public defenders? He premeditated an act of terrorism which resulted in multiple deaths just for kicks.
come on Colorado.
someone commented on the internet "back in the wild west days anyone found guilty of murder,was hanged the next day at sun rise. this animal will enjoy his life for years to come even when he is found guilty"
and "we know that "swift justice" will not be delivered. It never is in these situations. This will go on for what will seem like forever in contrast to the split seconds that took lives and maimed innocent people"

You can't be found guilty of anything with out a trial first. And it's a basic right have representation at that trial. Let's not forget the basics of our society here in the rush to massage our outrage.

[Nicholas]

We have heard a lot about the gunman (I concur with those who refuse to use his name, to deny him the fame he wanted), but in the wake of the horrific events in Aurora, Colorado we have also heard stories of brave individuals who attempted to help others.

In the face of the tragic events taking place, these three men sacrificed their lives so that others could live. Their actions help remind us that ordinary people are capable of acts of heroism.

'Dark Knight' Shooting: 3 Boyfriends Die Shielding Girlfriends During Aurora Massacre (VIDEO, PHOTO)
By Ryan Grenoble
Posted: 07/23/2012 1:11 pm

In the wake of Friday's devastating theater shooting in Aurora, Colo., President Obama remarked that it will be the "good people" -- the heroes who took action -- that remain in our memories long after James Holmes, the alleged gunman, has been forgotten.

And as stories from the darkened chaos begin to emerge, three among many share similar heroic stories: they all died shielding their girlfriends from bullets.

Source and full article: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/0...ef=mostpopular