PUTNAM COUNTY, Tenn. (WZTV) — The two men accused of being involved in the shooting of a Tennessee state trooper walked into a Putnam County courtroom for the first time Wednesday morning.

Court records show Braze Rucker and Timothy Davis have a violent criminal history.

Davis Jr. is charged with attempted first-degree murder. Investigators said he shot Tennessee Highway Patrol Trooper Adam Cothron on Friday during a traffic stop.

Braze Rucker is accused of being an accomplice and was the passenger at the time of the traffic stop. He is charged with criminal responsibility of facilitation of a felony.

Verna Wyatt told FOX 17 News their sentencing was lax, and they should have been kept behind bars.

“I think it’s really hard for someone that’s broken and has a whole lifetime of violence and abuse and addiction to go to prison and come out a responsible citizen,” she said.

Rucker was convicted on lesser charges in 2016 for attempted especially aggravated robbery and reckless aggravated assault instead of attempted murder.

His sentence was 14 years in total, but he only served a portion of that.

Davis Jr.’s charges in 2016 included attempted first degree murder and attempted second degree murder. He was supposed to serve 19 years, but got out earlier too.

Why? Because the eligibility of their release was at 30% of that original sentence.

The law, truth and sentencing that was enacted recently changes that.

Prisoners would serve between 85% to 100% of their time with no parole, versus the 30% that the two suspects served.

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It would allow offenders to serve their entire sentence for several charges including what Davis was charged with previously.

It would not apply to Rucker whose first-degree murder charge was reduced by a jury.

The law aims to prevent what happened to Cothron.

“I hope that it will help them open their eyes to what is going on because innocent people are being revictimized by repeat offenders over and over again,” said Wyatt.

The bond for Rucker is set at $1 million, and the bond for Davis was set at $3 million.

Wyatt told FOX 17 News it is a step in the right direction.

The next hearing for Rucker and Davis will be in early September, according to the Putnam County district attorney.