Here's how today at the Isaiah Kalebu trial was supposed to go: Kalebu's mother would testify in the morning (which happened as planned). Then, after a few more witnesses for the prosecution—a DNA expert, a bus driver who spotted Kalebu a few days after the South Park attacks, the Seattle Police Officer who arrested him—the prosecution would rest. That all happened as planned, too.

Next would be Kalebu's defense. As far as I could gather, it was going to be a very short one, with no outside witnesses scheduled and no plans to call Kalebu to the witness stand. After that, the defense would rest and the trial would begin to draw to a close.

Of course, the unpredictable element in this plan was Kalebu. Defendants have something close to an absolute right to testify at their own trials if they so desire, and today Kalebu made a new declaration to his attorneys: He intends to testify.

As a result, Kalebu, long ago deemed competent to stand trial by Judge Michael Hayden, was brought down from an upstairs courtroom in which Judge Hayden has forced Kalebu to watch the proceedings on closed-circuit television—and from a wheeled restraint chair—because of Kalebu's repeated in-court outbursts.

Outside the presence of the jury, Kalebu was then asked by Judge Hayden if he indeed wants to testify in his own defense.

Kalebu replied:

"Yes, let's get this dog and pony show over."

Judge Hayden asked him if he would promise not to curse in court.

Kalebu replied: "I will do my utmost to communicate effectively."

Judge Hayden told him that wasn't good enough, and the two of them agreed that Kalebu would continue to be held in restraints in court. He then asked Kalebu if he would dress appropriately.

Kalebu, who was wearing a green suicide smock, replied: "If you will give me some clothes." (During a later exchange on how to possibly cover up his restraints so that the jury wouldn't see them during his testimony, Kalebu suggested he be draped in "a grand dragon robe" or "an American flag.")

Kalebu's defense attorneys had already told the court that they "will not be asking him any questions," and so Judge Hayden told Kalebu he would have to write down whatever questions he plans to ask himself, and then use those questions as a sort of script when he testifies.

A hearing is set for tomorrow morning to help determine whether, in fact, this is going to happen.