Colorado shooting suspect James Holmes was seeing psychiatrist at university before massacre

[Douglas Carpenter]

Source: Washington Post

By Carol D. Leonnig and Brady Dennis, Updated: Saturday, July 28, 5:18 AMThe Washington Post

The shooting suspect in the Colorado theater rampage was seeing a university psychiatrist specializing in schizophrenia in the weeks before the July 20 attack, according to court records released Friday.

James Holmes was seeing Lynne Fenton, the director of student mental health services at the University of Colorado and a medical school professor. Holmes was a first-year graduate student in a neuroscience Ph.D. program.

Holmes sent a notebook to Fenton, his lawyers said in motions to the court Friday. The notebook included crude drawings depicting a mass killing, according to news reports, but it remains unclear when the notebook reached the university.

Holmes’s lawyers at the public defender’s office have asked the judge overseeing the case to find out who leaked information to the media about the notebook and its contents, arguing that Holmes’ privacy and constitutional rights have been violated.


Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/colorado-shooting-suspect-james-holmes-was-seeing-psychiatrist-at-university-before-massacre/2012/07/27/gJQAsTwHEX_story.html

[atreides1]

1. Okay

But it doesn't say in what capacity he was seeing her! Wasn't it a requirement of his graduate course that he had to see a psychiatrist?

[AtheistCrusader]

2. Maybe he asked her to dinner?

I'm kidding, but that's a really REALLY non-specific 'seeing'...

[Douglas Carpenter]

3. If he is not deeply disturbed, what was his motive? Whether or not he specifically suffers

schizophrenia and whether or not he meets the legal definition of "not guilty by reason of insanity" is another matter. Suggestions that he was not mentally ill are ludicrous. It is possible that he could be mentally ill and even schizophrenic but still in enough control of his faculties to be found both competent and guilty. Of course the guy is nuts. Whether or not he had adequate control of his faculties and decision making abilities - we simply don't know, yet anyway.

[nolabear]

4. She shows as head of Student Mental Health at UC.

It's hard to know at what level she saw him, but it does give the lawyers permission to declare the stuff he sent her to be confidential and so keep anyone from seeing it.

More will unfold. I wouldn't be her for the world right now.

[maddezmom]

5. CNN just reported he was a patient of the Dr.

[El Supremo]

6. Way to go Faux News! You just screwed up the case.

The contents of the notebook are within doctor–patient privilege and may not be used in a trial.

[harun]

7. You may be right

[RainDog]

8. doctor-patient privilege is void when someone commits a murder

or states a plan to commit a murder.

[TouchOfGray]

10. But who would want to introduce evidence of insanity at the trial?

Certainly not the prosecution.

But then I'm not an experienced trial attorney either.

[xtraxritical]

15. Take your racist comment and shove it.

[maddezmom]

14. +1000

[MountainLaurel]

9. I'm sort of impressed

Usually if you're seeking help at a student mental health center, you'd be lucky to see someone who has their master's degree already. Generally most of the counselors are students in training.

[LeagueShadows24]

12. not surprised

Maybe he planned the schizo in advance so he could use that as a defense in case he got caught?

[HooptieWagon]

16. Its possible.

The rest of his planning was quite thorough.

[uppityperson]

13. What "constitutional rights" were violated?