People v. Whitehead CA3

BACKGROUND

Medina, Morton and Whitehead were friends. Whitehead was 18 years old at the time of the offenses. On May 1 or 2, 2008, Medina fired a gun at another car. Morton and Whitehead were in the car Medina was driving at the time of the shooting. Morton admitted he also had a gun.

1 Undesignated statutory references are to the Penal Code.

2 Miguel Ramos and Angelo Granados were in the other car. At trial, Medina admitted he shot at the other car four or five times, but claimed he did it because he was afraid for his life. Ramos was shot in the knee and Granados was shot in the thigh. Days later, Morton, who was a drug dealer, arranged for his girlfriend Holly Sarmento to buy half an ounce of methamphetamine from Sarmento’s friend Jennifer Cauble, another drug dealer. Morton subsequently complained the methamphetamine Cauble had provided was short. He was angry and asked to meet with Cauble. Cauble agreed to a meeting, but told Morton her boyfriend Jason Fletcher would drive her to the meeting and they would bring a friend. Morton asked Medina to go to the meeting. He intended to get additional methamphetamine or his money back. He admitted telling Medina someone with Cauble…