After a call for probation from defense attorney Barclay Banister and a rebuttal from Commonwealth’s Attorney Carrie Ovey-Wiggins, Circuit Judge C.A. “Woody” Woodall III remanded Daddmus Martin into custody Wednesday afternoon following formal sentencing at Trigg County Circuit Court.
Martin immediately begins serving a 10-year concurrent sentence on four counts of attempted murder and three counts of criminal mischief, in regard to a July 8, 2020 altercation on Trigg County’s Landfill Road.
Banister, of Princeton, described the shootout as a “one-off” situation for Martin, who — according to the pre-sentence investigation — lacked a serious criminal record both before and after the potentially lethal confrontation. He called it a feud among young men, and that the victims were not entirely blameless due to provocation, and that a fight escalated and came to blows.
Alongside a number of character references, Banister added Martin is a high-school graduate who works two jobs to support his young family and recently-wedded wife, and that family support has remained strong throughout the process.
Ovey-Wiggins countered that the altercation was a “very serious” situation, and that “luckily, no one ended up dead” on that particular day.
After reading the facts and history of the case, and weighing the seriousness of the situation, Woodall agreed with the Commonwealth’s call — noting that everyone involved was “fortunate” that the type of gun play didn’t lead to more violence.
While more than $7,000 in restitution was originally owed, it’s likely that’s going to be knocked below $4,000. Woodall also denied the motion for probation, and stated 20 days in jail wasn’t enough punishment for the situation. Attempted murder is a Class C felony that carries with it a 10-year sentence, while criminal mischief is a Class D felony of five years.
On the condition of Martin’s ultimate release, Woodall ordered Martin have no contact with any of the victims involved in the case, and added he expected Banister’s office to file for shock probation in a timely fashion after his client had serve more in a correctional facility.
