Posted on 12/21/2006 4:55:29 AM PST by Alouette
Prosecutors won't seek death penalty against man accused of shooting six people, one fatally, at Jewish charity because of suspect's long history of mental illness
Associated Press Published: 12.21.06, 08:25
Prosecutors said Wednesday they would not seek the death penalty against the man accused of shooting six people, one fatally, at a Jewish charity because of the suspect's long history of mental illness.
King County Prosecutor Norm Maleng said he based his decision on Naveed Haq's mental health records from the past decade, though he called the shooting "one of the most serious crimes that has ever occurred in this city."
Haq is charged with murder in the death of Pamela Waechter, 58, director of the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle's annual fundraising campaign, and with five counts of attempted murder in the attack at the federation's downtown offices on July 28.
If convicted, Haq would face life in prison without parole. He also faces charges of kidnapping and malicious harassment, the state's hate-crime law.
Jewish Federation officials declined immediate comment on the decision but scheduled a news conference for later Wednesday.
Haq, 31, a US-born Muslim, is accused of opening fire with two semiautomatic pistols at the Jewish center. He told authorities he was angered by the war in Iraq and US military co-operation with Israel .
According to a statement of probable cause, Haq told a 911 dispatcher: "These are Jews and I'm tired of getting pushed around and our people getting pushed around by the situation in the Middle East."
A family friend told reporters last summer that Haq had been getting psychiatric help for 10 years, and hadn't been able to hold a job.
In March, Haq was arrested at a Benton County shopping mall after he was accused of climbing onto a raised coin fountain and exposing himself to young women.
'Significant mental health issues'
Maleng's spokesman, Dan Donohoe, wouldn't say what evidence of mental illness had been uncovered, and Haq's lawyer, Wesley Richards, wouldn't discuss his client's mental history.
"We're certainly glad the prosecutor recognized there are significant mental health issues in this case and that the death penalty was just not appropriate under these circumstances," Richards said.
He declined to say whether his client still wishes to plead guilty - as he tried to at a hearing this summer. The judge postponed the hearing on the plea, and Haq eventually pleaded not guilty.
Prosecutors said Haq waited in the vestibule of the downtown Seattle building until 14-year-old Kelsie Burkum arrived to visit her aunt, Cheryl Stumbo. Prosecutors allege he put a gun into the girl's back and told her, "Open the door." He followed her up the stairs to the second floor, keeping the gun in her back, and started shooting when one woman tried to call 911, prosecutors said.
The shooting ended when Dayna Klein, then 17 weeks pregnant, persuaded the gunman to speak with an emergency operator after he shot her in the arm. He agreed to surrender, put his two guns down and walked out, hands on his head.
Klein gave birth to a healthy baby boy last month.
You got it. The Carterization of the criminal justice system. It is just too bad we can't deport his sorry you-know-what back to his ancestral hell hole.
That right there, IMHO, belies that argument that this character was non compos mentis. The fact that he put the guns down, and walked out w/hands on his head to face the police means he knew what he had done was wrong. And that has always been a deciding factor in judging a perpetrator.
IOW, by his actions the guy knew that what he did was wrong, that he was guilty: Ergo, the guy wasn't nuts.
That's it! The Jews MADE him do it!
You got that right! I worked at one of the largest maximum security prisons in the U.S. in the late 1970's. Carter and his Justice Department opened cell doors we all are still trying to close today. My opinion, no other single person has wrecked more havoc on Americans (1977 to present) then that man's one term Presidency.
Bet he'll be out in a few years because of said mental illness.
Premeditated murder one, attempted mass murder and a hate crime.
High volume. Articles on Israel can also be found by clicking on the Topic or Keyword Israel, WOT
..................
************
For liberals, there is no evil. Just mental illness.
I'd require concrete evidence of mental illness other that him being an exhibitionist in a mall.
Maleng is a coward. After he refused to prosecute Mary Kay LaTourneau (sp?) following her second probation violation (sleeping with her boytoy), I refused to vote for him ever again. There was incontovertable evidence (i.e., a child), yet he refused to prosecute. I will not vote for a prosecutor who refuses to prosecute obvious crimes.
I see the MSM has got to you.
If he's too mentally ill to face the death penalty, then isn't he also too mentally ill to be convicted? That's the angle his defense will undoubtedly push, and you'd better believe that the CAIR seige on Maleng's office has only started.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.