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By
D.C. Witness Staff
- July 6, 2016
Court
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Homicides
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Suspects
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The trial against Dujuan Garris, originally scheduled to begin Wednesday, has been postponed until 2017.
Garris, 21, has been charged with the murder of James Anderson last January.
Judge Milton Lee decided Wednesday, with the approval of both the prosecution and the defense, to move the trial.
Last week Garris was in court for a final status hearing before going to trial, which was supposed to begin July 6. During the status hearing, the defense discussed DNA evidence from shell casings left at the scene and how they were waiting for the results of their analysis. The defense had asked to postpone the start date for the trial because of this.
The prosecution argued that they would need time to analyze the defense’s evidence and asked to move back the start of the trial. The next availability for all parties to go to trial would be early in 2017.
In court on Wednesday, the prosecution and defense shared that there had been a minor miscommunication. The defense had originally told the prosecution evidence would be available on July 6, but that through a series of circumstances that were out of their control, they would not be able to expedite the transfer of evidence for at least a week and a half.
The prosecution assumed that the evidence would be available today.
The prosecution and defense had subpoenaed witnesses for the pre-trial and requested that they return to court again on July 26, when they hope to set a definitive trial date.
“What is it I need to do to help this thing move along?” Lee asked Garris’ attorney when it was decided that there would no longer be a trial Wednesday. Lee granted the defense two weeks to fully analyze their data and transfer their findings to the prosecution, and he scheduled a status conference for July 26.
According to charging documents, Anderson was found suffering from gunshot wounds on January 11, 2105. Multiple witnesses identified Dujuan Garris as the man who fatally shot Anderson at 1337 1 St, SE.
According to witness accounts relayed to police, a party was taking place in the house where Anderson was later found fatally shot. A man who did not ordinarily hang out with Anderson was at the party, and let Garris into the house. Garris approached Anderson and told him to “give up” marijuana he was holding. When Anderson said no, witnesses heard gunshots. They identified the shooter as “Fat Fat,” a nickname commonly used by Garris. He was charged with first-degree murder in February of last year.