Attorneys for Cinemark said they need the to cover costs stemming from the victims' unsuccessful lawsuit

Backlash as Cinemark Seeks Nearly $700,000 in Legal Fees from Colorado Theater Shooting Victims

Cinemark is facing backlash after attorneys for the theater chain requested that victims and family members of victims of the 2012 Aurora, Colorado, shooting pay nearly $700,000 in legal fees after they unsuccessfully sued the company, according to multiple reports.

Earlier this month, lawyers for the theater company told a judge they needed the money to cover the costs of preserving evidence, copying records, travel and other expenses stemming from the lawsuit, the Associated Press reports. The attorneys filed a “bill of costs” totaling $699,187.13, according to the Denver Post.

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The judge did not immediately make a ruling on the request, but state courts allow the winner of the court case to recover legal fees, the AP reports.

In July 2012, James Holmes opened fire on Cinemark’s Century 16 Theater in the Denver suburb, killing 12 people and injuring 70.

More than 28 victims and their families sued the company in state court, arguing that the theater chain should have done more to prevent the attack, but jurors ruled in Cinemark’s favor in May. The company had argued it could not have stopped the determined, heavily-armed Holmes, according to the Post.

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Holmes was sentenced to life in prison without parole.

Cinemark’s request – filed in Arapahoe County District Court, according to the Post – has sparked outrage, with many taking to social media to condemn the theater company.

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“Shameful! #BoycottCinematk,” Lt. Gov. of California Gavin Newsom tweeted on Thursday.

Despite the request, the victims may not ultimately have to foot the nearly $700,000 bill because a judge must approve it, according to the Post.