CENTENNIAL — The man accused of committing one of the worst mass murders in U.S. history will face a judge for the first time Monday.

James Eagan Holmes, the 24-year-old suspect in the Aurora movie theater massacre, is scheduled to appear at 9:30 a.m. before an Arapahoe County judge.

A prosecutor told the Associated Press this morning that Holmes could face death penalty.

The purpose of the hearing, known as an advisement, is to tell Holmes about the murder charges on which he is currently being held. A formal filing of charges by the district attorney's office will come later. Prosecutors could add to or change his charges in between.

Advisement hearings are typically short — perhaps only a

few minutes — and may not even require the suspect to speak. Nonetheless, the hearing will allow the public its first look at Holmes since the early Friday shootings and may provide new insight into how lawyers on both sides intend to approach his case.

Because of that, court officials are bracing for a flood of people at the courthouse Monday morning. The State Court Administrator's office has reserved 35 seats inside the courtroom — Courtroom 201 — for media representatives. Space is also being made available to shooting survivors and the family of the victims. An overflow courtroom, in which an audio feed of the hearing will be played, is also being set up.

Because of the large number of people expected at the courthouse, court officials have established an overflow parking lot a few blocks away at Arapahoe County Community Park, 7900 S. Potomac St. There will be a free shuttle service between that parking lot and the courthouse.

John Ingold: 303-954-1068, jingold@denverpost.com or twitter.com/john_ingold