Laura Naomi Clifton v. State of Tennessee

Syllabus

In May 2024, the Petitioner, Laura Naomi Clifton, pleaded guilty to two counts of sexualexploitation of a minor via electronic means, and the trial court entered the agreed sentenceof concurrent two-year sentences, to be served at 30%. The plea agreement specified thatthe Petitioner would not be placed on the sex offender registry. After serving her sentence,the Petitioner was placed on the sex offender registry and forced to comply with itsrequirements. Accordingly, she filed a petition for post-conviction relief. During thehearing on the petition, the post-conviction court offered her time to consider her options.She went to the parking lot to consider the matter and, while she was outside, the postconvictioncourt dismissed her petition for failure to prosecute. The Petitioner asked thepost-conviction court to reconsider, and it denied her request. After a review of the record,we reverse the post-conviction court's judgment, and we remand the case for a hearingduring which the Petitioner should be given the opportunity to pursue her petition for postconvictionrelief.