The former graduate student accused of opening fire on moviegoers in a Colorado screening of the latest Batman movie 10 days ago has been formally charged with 24 counts of first-degree murder and 116 counts of attempted murder.

The charges were formally presented as James Holmes, 24, made his second court appearance since his arrest moments after the massacre during a packed showing of The Dark Knight Rises, shortly after midnight on July 20.

The rampage left 12 dead and 58 injured, several critically.

Prosecutors essentially charged Holmes with two murder counts for each victim - one standard first-degree murder charge plus one count of murder with extreme indifference.

In all, prosecutors have charged Holmes with 142 criminal counts in the shooting, the 24 murder and 116 attempted murder counts plus one count of possession of an explosive device and one count of committing a crime of violence.

Meanwhile, the Colorado woman who lost her 6-year-old daughter in the Aurora theatre shooting and suffered a miscarriage is expected to be paralysed as a result of her injuries.

Speaking overnight (NZT) MaryEllen Hansen said that doctors still hope her niece, Ashley Moser, will have use of her arms.

Moser's daughter, Veronica Moser-Sullivan, was the youngest person slain in the July 20 shooting. At the weekend Moser's family announced that Moser had suffered a miscarriage related to the trauma of the shooting. Moser suffered gunshot wounds to the neck and abdomen.

Hansen said Moser was aware of both her daughter's death and the miscarriage. She added that a funeral for Veronica has been delayed until her mother is able to attend and that there was no estimate on when that will be.

Hansen spoke at the courthouse where Holmes was charged with 142 criminal counts.

After the hearing, she said she thought Holmes appeared coherent and alert and that he had a "persona of evilness".

- Reuters