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Unsealed Documents 'Hint At The Evidence' In Colorado Shootings

While a Colorado judge on Monday kept sealed most key documents in the case against Aurora movie theater shootings suspect James Holmes, the materials that have been made public do "hint at the evidence being marshaled," The Denver Post writes.

The Post says that "for example, a newly disclosed index of hearings and motions made in the case shows 18th Judicial District Chief Judge William Sylvester has ordered prosecutors to provide a copy of a video to the defense but does not explain what the video contains."

But, the newspaper adds, "many of the unsealed documents pertain to motions already discussed publicly in court or are boilerplate motions filed in the most serious criminal cases."

Nearly two dozen news media outlets, including NPR, have asked Sylvester to unseal documents related to the case.

Twelve people were killed and 58 wounded on July 20 when a gunman opened fire on the audience at a midnight screening of The Dark Knight Rises. Holmes faces 24 counts of murder and 116 counts of attempted murder.

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Mark Memmott is NPR's supervising senior editor for Standards & Practices. In that role, he's a resource for NPR's journalists – helping them raise the right questions as they do their work and uphold the organization's standards.
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