Crime | James Holmes Judge Enters Not Guilty Plea for James Holmes Holmes' attorneys had asked for 2-3 more months to decide plea By Mark Russell Posted Mar 12, 2013 11:27 AM CDT Copied Defense attorney Daniel King arrives at district court for the arraignment of James Holmes, Aurora theater shooting suspect, in Centennial, Colo., on Tuesday, March 12, 2013. (AP Photo/Ed Andrieski) After James Holmes' attorneys said he was not ready to enter a plea this morning, the judge did it for him—not guilty on 166 counts, including the murder of 12 people in an Aurora movie theater last July and attempting to kill 70 others, reports the Denver Post. The move lets Holmes keep the option of changing the plea to not guilty by reason of insanity. Holmes' attorneys said their client needed until May or June before he would be ready, drawing sighs from several victims' family members. "I don't think we could ethically stand before you and tell you we're ready to make a plea," said a defense attorney. Read These Next A government shutdown could mean permanent layoffs. FCC chief gets crushed by cat litter in new South Park. Retirement savings catch-up plans are about to change. James Comey says go ahead, bring on his trial. Report an error