(Image source: Bill Robles )

BY FERDOUS AL-FARUQUE

Prosecutors in the Aurora, Colorado shooting case allege authorities banned James Holmes from the University of Colorado after he failed an oral board exam in June and started to make threats.

But USA Today cites university spokeswoman Jacque Montgomery who said Holmes was never banned , but she also confirmed a criminal background check was done on him before the July 20 attack.

Holmes is accused of killing 12 people and injuring dozens more during an opening show of the latest Batman movie, “The Dark Knight Rises.”

On Thursday Attorney Karen Pearson tried to persuade District Judge William Sylvester to unseal Holmes’ university records but Defense Attorney Daniel King fought back saying the attempt was a “fishing” expedition.

The LA Times’ Jenny Deam notes Holmes seemed to at least have been more attentive to Thursday’s proceedings than in previous court appearances. She also says:

“[The prosecution] speculated about how disappointed Holmes must have been about his deteriorating university career and said faculty had asked him to leave the program.”

Though CU officials said they couldn’t discuss any alleged threat Holmes may have posed, they did acknowledge his university card was deactivated when he withdrew from their neuroscience program.

When questioned by the Denver Post about the alleged threats Aurora Police Chief Daniel Oates said , “... his department was never contacted by CU officials or the campus police department about the threats.’”