Stephen D. Lester
A 28-year-old Chattanooga man with a life prison sentence from a 2013 murder is facing even more time in federal prison.
Prosecutor Chris Poole said Stephen D. Lester could get 15 years if it is ruled that he is an armed career criminal.
Otherwise, the advisory sentencing range is 57-71 months.
The prosecutor said an aggravated robbery qualifies for the designation, but Gianna Maio of the Federal Public Defender's Office argued that it did not.
Judge Sandy Mattice directed the attorneys to file legal briefs on the issue and he said he would rule in about a month.
The judge said the U.S. Supreme Court does not appear to look favorably on the concept of given long sentences to those with certain qualifying prior crimes. However, he said the high court "has taken a long time to getting around to dealing with the issue."
When fugitive detectives arrested Lester on Feb. 24, 2015, they patted him down and found a loaded Jennings .22 semi-automatic pistol in his back pocket.
Lester was convicted of the murder of 28-year-old Edward Glenn Jr.