The defendant, Paul Edward Martin, Jr., was convicted by a Chester County Circuit Court jury of carjacking and aggravated robbery, Class B felonies, and sentenced to terms of twenty years on each conviction, to be served consecutively as a Range II offender in the Tennessee Department of Correction. On appeal, he argues that the trial court imposed an excessive sentence. After review, we affirm the judgments of the trial court.

Defendants Allen Craft and Cedric Mims were convicted of first degree felony murder, especially aggravated robbery, attempted voluntary manslaughter, and employing a firearm during the commission of a dangerous felony. The trial court sentenced each defendant to life for the felony murder conviction, with concurrent sentences of twenty years for the especially aggravated robbery conviction and two years for the attempted voluntary manslaughter conviction. The trial court also dismissed the charges of employing a firearm during the commission of a dangerous felony.

An analysis by the Government Accountability Office found that voter turnout dropped by at least 2.2 percentage points in Tennessee in 2012, the first election after passage of new voter ID requirements, the Nashville Scene reports. The Washington Post has parsed the report, which also analyzed turnout in Kansas and includes breakdowns of the law's effect on turnout generally — as compared with other states — as well as a demographic breakdown, which found a particular impact on African Americans and new voters. According to the Post's calculations, based on the data in the report, 88,000 more Tennesseans likely would have voted if not for the new law.

Elon University School of Law has announced the creation of a new curriculum that will be the nation’s first standard JD program lasting less than three years. The North Carolina program will operate on a seven-trimester (or 2½-year) schedule, which will allow students to graduate in December, take the bar exam in February and begin practicing in the spring. The school will also lower its tuition, which now totals about $114,000 over three years, by about $14,000 for the entire program of study. The ABA Journal has more.

The television advertisement war is quickly heating up in U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander's race against Democrat Gordon Ball, with both candidates going negative in consecutive days. A new statewide Alexander ad released Tuesday seeks to paint Ball, a political unknown to most Tennesseans, as a liberal who would carry out President Barack Obama's agenda. Ball, a wealthy Knoxville attorney, went on the attack against Alexander in an ad that says the two-term senator is "out of tune with the voters of Tennessee." The ad shows Alexander playing the piano, with a soundtrack that is wildly out of tune. The Tennessean has more.

U.S. Attorney Edward Stanton III spoke in Memphis Thursday about youth violence, WREG reports. Stanton says it’s time for a change in the justice system because Memphis, and the rest of Shelby County can’t arrest their way out of violence. He argued mass incarceration has never made our streets safer. Stanton brushed off suggestions the Department of Justice mandate that gives most kids court summons instead of jail time is leading to more violent crime, stating this mandate protects kids from a potentially racially biased system.

The U.S. Trademark Office granted TM Registration to the University of Arkansas for its “hog call.” Fans of the SEC are familiar with the wooooo-pig-sooie call. According to the Wyatt, Tarrant & Combs blog “Finding IP Value,” sensory marks are registerable just like word marks and logos when used in connection with the sale of goods or the rendering of services. 

The Hon. Brandon Gibson was sworn in yesterday as the newest judge on the Tennessee Court of Appeals, Western Section. Gibson was appointed by Gov. Bill Haslam in December to replace Judge David R. Farmer, who retired in August. Gibson’s husband held the Bible as Gov. Haslam administered the oath of office during ceremonies at the Madison County Courthouse Chancery Courtroom. The Tennessee has more.

Shelves built and donated by local carpentry students will adorn the newly expanded McMinn County Justice Center, the Daily Post Athenian reports. Students from the McMinn County Career Technical Education Center put the finishing touches on the shelves Tuesday. They will be transported to the new offices of Circuit Court Clerk Rhonda Cooley in the Judicial Complex.