The man charged with the mass shooting attack last week at a Boulder-area King Soopers will have a status conference hearing in court May 25, two months to the day after his first court appearance, according to court papers.

The hearings are routine in criminal cases and allow lawyers to indicate their readiness for trial and iron out next steps.

Prosecutors have charged Ahmad Alissa, 21, with 10 counts of first-degree murder, including one for murder of a peace officer in the death of Boulder Police Officer Eric Talley. He also faces one count of attempted murder of a peace officer.

At his first appearance last Thursday, 20th Judicial District Court Judge Thomas Mulvahill agreed to hold a status conference before scheduling evidence hearings in the case. An evidence hearing is required for suspects held without bail on suspicion of first-degree murder, Boulder County District Attorney Michael Dougherty said at a news conference last week. The prosecution has to show why they think Alissa committed the crime. 

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Defense attorneys indicated at last week’s hearing they are evaluating Alissa’s mental health. They did not give specific details of Alissa’s purported mental illness, but said they will need to go through prosecutors’ evidence to assess its “needs and depth.” 

Chief Judge Ingrid Bakke will preside over the case. 

Dougherty said he expects to file additional counts of attempted first-degree murder for shooting at officers who responded to the attack, and other charges. As of Tuesday not additional charges had been filed, according to court papers. 

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Last week Dougherty emphasized the need for Alissa to get a fair trial, saying he was being cautious about sharing too much information to avoid the trial being moved out of Boulder County.  

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