Opinion ID: 2632318
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Defendant's trial testimony

Text: Douglas testified at trial. He said he went to a party with some friends at the Knights Inn on the night of October 2, 1999. There, he met Mejia, who he knew as S.A., and Martinez. Martinez asked for some marijuana. Douglas told him that he knew someone who had some, and Douglas and Martinez exchanged phone numbers. Douglas said he would contact L.A., a man he had met in a liquor store 2 or 3 months before. Douglas knew L.A. sold marijuana because he had purchased marijuana from him two to four times. Douglas called Mejia and Martinez the afternoon following the party to ask them if they still wanted the marijuana. He also called L.A. Mejia and Martinez were to meet L.A. at McAdams Park at 8:30 p.m. to purchase one pound of marijuana. Later, Mejia and Martinez called Douglas to ask him to be at the park. Douglas arrived at the park alone. While waiting, he parked his car and kept it running, but it ran out of gas. When Mejia and Martinez arrived, Douglas asked Mejia if they had a gas can. They did not. Douglas got into the back seat of their car, the Camry, and waited behind the driver's seat until L.A. arrived. L.A. got into the car with the other three men. L.A. expressed concern that there were other people in the park, so Mejia drove around until L.A. directed him to pull over. L.A. gave Martinez a plastic bag of marijuana. Douglas received a call on his cell phone. While he was on the phone, he heard the other three men start to argue. L.A. said something about the others being informers. Douglas hung up his phone. L.A. pulled his gun, shot Martinez, and then shot Mejia. Douglas quickly got out of the car and ran to some nearby apartments. He stayed there about 15 to 25 minutes before walking to the gas station. At the gas station, he saw a friend named Angela, who drove him back to his car. Douglas said he first gave the police different information in the interview because he was scared that if he told police he witnessed the crime, he would be accused of it. He also was scared of L.A.