More jurors excused from Colorado shooting case

CENTENNIAL, Colo. (AP) - A judge on Thursday released more than 50 people from jury selection in the Colorado theater shooting trial as the long, difficult task of finding people to determine the fate of gunman James Holmes entered its third day.

An unprecedented 9,000 possible jurors were initially summoned in the case, and it's likely to take months to whittle that number down to 12 jurors and 12 alternates.

District Attorney George Brauchler urged Judge Carlos Samour not to reveal why the judge released 48 jurors on Thursday who had already filled out a questionnaire as part of the screening process.

Brauchler warned against providing a "roadmap" that other people could use to get out of jury service.

Samour also released five other jurors, including a woman who feared the lengthy trial would aggravate her panic attacks. Samour has released at least 70 potential jurors to date.

The jury will determine if Holmes was sane during the 2012 attack that killed 12 people and injured 70 others. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty.

Holmes' attorneys have acknowledged he was the gunman but argue he was mentally ill.