(CNN) – A judge on Monday indicated he will allow Colorado movie theater shooting suspect James Holmes to change his plea to not guilty by reason of insanity. However, Judge Carlos Samour Jr. also indicated he will rule on a number of other legal issues in the case before accepting the plea, possibly later this month.
Holmes is charged with killing 12 people and wounding of dozens more after opening fire inside a Denver-area movie theater last summer.
Prosecutors have already announced they planned to seek the death penalty against Holmes. Earlier this year, a judge entered a not guilty plea on behalf of Holmes over the objection of his attorneys.
Holmes faces 166 counts of murder, attempted murder and other crimes for the attack.
