Haq's attorneys object to fall trial

Defense attorneys for accused Jewish Federation shooter Naveed Haq told a King County judge Thursday that they won't be prepared for a second trial until February.

But Superior Court Judge Paris Kallas urged defense attorneys to press their expert witnesses to be prepared to testify in October.

"Their role is key. I would hate to have an additional six-month delay because of availability," Kallas said. "I hope that can be conveyed."

She suggested a late-September start for Haq's second trial.

Prosecutors said that they will be ready to begin selecting another jury in early September, in time to try the case before the winter holidays.

But defense attorney John Carpenter called the proposed schedule "completely unworkable," saying two expert witnesses for Haq were unavailable the entire month of October and that others were unavailable on many dates in November and December.

A trial is expected to take at least eight weeks, including jury selection, attorneys said.

The first trial included six weeks of testimony and eight days of deliberations.

Kallas declared a mistrial in Haq's first trial on June 4 after the jury indicated it was deadlocked on 14 of the 15 criminal counts against Haq.

Haq, 32, is accused of shooting six women, killing one, after he burst into the offices of the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle on July 28, 2006. Haq pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity.

Prosecutors have said they could modify the charges against Haq.

Kallas ordered defense attorneys to contact their experts and get more specific information about whether the witnesses could be present for a trial sometime this fall.