Laura Naomi Clifton v. State of Tennessee

In May 2024, the Petitioner, Laura Naomi Clifton, pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual
exploitation of a minor via electronic means, and the trial court entered the agreed sentence
of concurrent two-year sentences, to be served at 30%. The plea agreement specified that
the 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 its
requirements. Accordingly, she filed a petition for post-conviction relief. During the
hearing 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 postconviction
court dismissed her petition for failure to prosecute. The Petitioner asked the
post-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 hearing
during which the Petitioner should be given the opportunity to pursue her petition for postconviction
relief.