Insanity plea accepted in Colorado shooting

CENTENNIAL, Colo. -- A judge accepted James Holmes' plea of not guilty by reason of insanity Tuesday and ordered him to undergo a mental evaluation -- an examination that could be a decisive factor in whether the Aurora, Colo., theater shooting suspect is convicted and sentenced to die.

The judge also granted prosecutors access to a notebook that Holmes sent to a psychiatrist shortly before the July 20 rampage, which left 12 people dead and 70 injured in a bloody, bullet-riddled movie theater in suburban Denver.

Holmes faces more than 160 counts of murder and attempted murder, and prosecutors are seeking the death penalty.

He will now be examined by the Colorado Mental Health Institute in Pueblo, but it's not certain when the evaluation will begin or how long it will take. Judge Carlos Samour Jr. set a tentative date of Aug. 2 for the exam to be complete but said he would push that back if hospital officials request more time. Samour indicated he still hopes to begin Holmes' trial in February.-- AP