Testimony shifts to Haq's mental state

SEATTLE, Washington - We heard from the first defense witness today as one of Naveed Haq’s treating physicians took the stand to testify to her diagnosis of schizoaffective disorder and the half-dozen medications Haq was on during his time in dental school.

This witness, Dr. Alexandra McLean, had traveled from the East Coast was taken out of order; the prosecution has not yet rested. She testified Haq thought in 1998 that he could read minds but that she couldn’t testify to what his mental state was after the year 2000. Watch her testimony

Haq, a 30-year-old Muslim American, is accused of killing one woman and wounding five others. His state of mind is key to the case because he is mounting an insanity defense.

Cross-examination of prosecution witness Detective Timothy Luckie also gave the defense a chance to score a point or two, as Haq’s online activity was portrayed as an exercise in civil awareness – including available city council seats, global warming, and Project Vote Smart.

Detective Alan Cruise also testified as one of the final prosecution witnesses, adding another layer to the image of Haq’s life before the incident. Jurors saw pictures of an apartment lacking even basic furniture; a pillow on the floor, a lonely movie poster on a wall - and the packaging of a Ruger pistol and Ka-Bar knife Haq eventually would leave at the Jewish Federation offices.

– In Session staff