(NECN/NBC News: Leanne Greg) - The 24-year-old-suspect in the Aurora, Colo., theater shootings will be back in court today for his arraignment on 166 charges.
The judge in case said there is sufficient evidence to move forward, and based on what prosecutors presented during his preliminary hearing earlier this week, it could be a dramatic and graphic trial.
The decision to go to trail is not unexpected. The evidence was overwhelming.
"No surprises in the court ruling,” said legal analyst Scott Robinson. “There was overwhelming evidence supporting all 166 counts in the case of people vs. James Holmes."
The request by defense attorneys to delay the arraignment was also no surprise.
"It's not unusual for defense lawyers to want more time to prepare -- after all, the prosecution got a huge head start in the case,” Robinson said.
That head start happened during the preliminary hearing.
Prosecutors provided vivid images of the scene inside the theater through emotional testimony from police officers, chilling 911 calls and theater surveillance video of movie-goers trying to escape.
But the preliminary hearing ended with no evidence from defense attorneys, who decided not to call witnesses to testify about Holmes’ mental state. His attorneys said he is mentally ill.
But family members of the victims disagree.
"He's not crazy one bit,” said Tom Teves, the father of one victim. “He's very, very cold. He's very, very calculated."
Holmes is being held without bond in isolation as the legal process moves forward.
