Wrongful Death Claims Kept Open in Colorado Shootings

A federal judge has declined to dismiss wrongful death and liability claims filed against Cinemark USA, the company that owns the Colorado theater where 12 people were shot to death last summer.

In a ruling released Wednesday, Judge R. Brooke Johnson dismissed separate claims that Cinemark was negligent in the July 20 shootings, which injured 70. The ruling was one of several legal hurdles the lawsuits had to clear before trial.

A spokeswoman for Cinemark said the company had no comment.

The ruling came in 10 lawsuits. The plaintiffs include relatives of the dead, people who were injured and witnesses.

James Holmes has been charged with multiple counts of murder and attempted murder. A judge entered a not guilty plea on his behalf. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty.

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