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Prosecutors: Don't Bar Public From Holmes Hearing

DENVER (AP) - Prosecutors in the Colorado theater shootings are objecting to a defense request to bar the public and the media from a pretrial hearing about defendant James Holmes' sanity.

In a motion filed Tuesday, prosecutors primarily argued that victims of the 2012 massacre should be allowed to attend hearings scheduled next week, but they objected to barring anyone.

A psychiatrist who evaluated Holmes' sanity is expected to testify.

Holmes pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to charges of killing 12 and injuring 70 in a movie theater. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty.

Holmes underwent a mandatory sanity evaluation last summer. The conclusions haven't been made public, but prosecutors are asking for further evaluation.

At next week's hearings, the two sides are scheduled to argue whether more evaluation is warranted.

(© Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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