Nineteen Minutes

The narrative continues with the trial. Patrick testifies as the police detective. He gives an account of the weapons used and the evidence retrieved, and he explains how he apprehended Peter. When Jordan cross-examines, Patrick tells the court that when he apprehended Peter, all Peter said was “they started it” (399). Curtis Uppergate, a forensic psychiatrist, testifies next for the prosecution. He explains how, in his professional opinion, Peter knew exactly what he was doing during the shooting. Uppergate makes a compelling case for premeditation. Jordan cross-examines him and gets Uppergate to admit that, despite being a psychiatrist, he never met personally with Peter, even though he had with other shooting victims, and even though an important part of his profession is seeing clients face-to-face for assessment.

Dr. King Wah testifies next for the defense. He is a well-known forensic psychiatrist, and well respected. Wah testifies that Peter was in a dissociative state during the shooting. In other words, Peter was suffering from PTSD. His only haven, the computer, had become a nightmare right before the shooting. This threw him into an altered state. Peter suffered the effects of battered-woman syndrome as well, meaning that he thought a bully was a threat even when the bully wasn’t actively threatening him.