MOSCOW, 24 Jul - RAPSI, Ingrid Burke. A judge issued an order Monday granting accused Colorado theater gunman James Holmes' motion to limit pretrial publicity in response to intense media scrutiny after the mass shooting that left 12 dead and upwards of 50 injured during a screening of Batman: the Dark Knight Rises.

In a similar vein, the court issued two orders Friday: one granting expanded media coverage of Holmes' Monday advisement proceedings, and one sealing investigative records compiled by law enforcement agents. RAPSI has attained copies of the three documents.

Monday's order imposed strict regulations on interactions that lawyers for both parties can have with representatives of the media. The court's decision was based on its concern that the media would create an environment of hostility between opposing counsel that would impede fair trial standards. Speaking to this point, Judge William Blair Sylvester reasoned, "When lawyers quarrel with each other, the arguments sometimes tend to become acrimonious. Disputes of this type divert time, energy and resources from the primary task of preparing for trial to determine the provability of charges. The public spectacle of a quarrel among attorneys over allegations of ethical improprieties would greatly reduce the public's confidence in the adjudicative process. The news coverage of the proceedings would focus on personalities of the advocates and deflect attention from their advocacy of important legal and factual issues which will determine the outcome of this case."

The directive also imposes a gag order on law enforcement officials associated with the case, prohibiting law enforcement officials at state and federal levels from issuing any extrajudicial statements to the media. This followed on the heels of Friday's order sealing the case file from public inspection.

The court's grant of expanded media coverage of Friday's advisement proceedings provided KUSA 9 News with sole responsibility for audio/video coverage of the proceeding, and gave Associated Press Photos and the Denver Post discretion over who would have sole responsibility for courtroom photography.

Pretrial proceedings for the case of the People of the State of Colorado v. James Holmes are currently underway in the Arapahoe County Court for the 18th judicial district.