Petitioner, Vernon Lee Ivey, appeals the denial of his petition for post-conviction relief, arguing that the post-conviction court erred in denying his claim that trial counsel was ineffective for failing to advise Petitioner of his full sentencing exposure and statutory ineligibility for probation before Petitioner entered an open guilty plea. Petitioner also presents a stand-alone claim arguing that the post-conviction court erred when it determined that he intelligently, knowingly, and voluntarily entered his guilty plea. Upon review of the entire record, the briefs and arguments of the parties, and the applicable law, we affirm the judgment of the post-conviction court.

The State appeals from the judgment of the trial court sentencing Defendant, Carmen Noe Garcia Guox, to eleven months and twenty-nine days’ incarceration for patronizing prostitution from a law enforcement officer posing as a minor. On appeal, the State contends that the trial court erred by imposing a Class A misdemeanor sentence because Defendant’s conviction is a Class B felony offense. Defendant responds that he entered a best interest plea to a Class A misdemeanor and that the relevant statute does not authorize a Class B felony conviction or sentence. Upon a thorough review of the record and applicable law, we reverse the judgment of the trial court, vacate Defendant’s plea, and remand for further proceedings consistent with this opinion.

Defendant, Donavous Drennon, was indicted with one count of second degree murder in Count 1, one count of aggravated assault resulting in death in Count 2, one count of tampering with evidence in Count 3, two counts of possessing a handgun after being convicted of a felony drug offense in Counts 4 and 5, and two counts of employing a firearm during the commission of a dangerous felony after being convicted of a dangerous felony in Counts 6 and 7. Prior to trial, the trial court merged Count 5 into Count 4 and bifurcated Counts 6 and 7. After trial, a jury acquitted Defendant on Counts 1 and 2 but convicted him on Counts 3 and 4, and the trial court dismissed Counts 6 and 7. On appeal, Defendant argues that (1) the trial court committed plain error by improperly implying to the jury that the defense of self-defense did not apply to Defendant’s charge of possessing a handgun after being convicted of a felony drug offense; (2) the Double Jeopardy Clause of the United States Constitution prevents retrial upon reversal of his conviction for the same; and (3) the evidence was insufficient to sustain his conviction for tampering with evidence. After review, we dismiss Defendant’s appeal.

In this zoning matter, the trial court granted summary judgment in favor of the respondent county and property development company and dismissed the petitioners’ declaratory judgment action. The petitioners had challenged a sector plan amendment and rezoning as illegal. Contrary to the petitioners’ argument, the trial court specifically found that the county zoning body maintained the authority under Tennessee Code Annotated § 13-7-101 to impose conditions on the rezoning of the subject property. The petitioners have appealed. Discerning no reversible error, we affirm.

Estefany Rodríguez, a Nashville news reporter arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), was granted a $10,000 bond Monday but remains detained in Louisiana after government lawyers reserved the right to appeal, the Tennessee Lookout reports. If ICE appeals, she will remain in the South Louisiana ICE Processing Center until the Board of Immigration Appeals reviews the case; if they do not, she can be released on bond, according to the Nashville Banner. Rodríguez’s attorneys asked in their latest filing for her immediate release and an injunction preventing re-detention. The filing also detailed some of what she has endured since her detention on March 4, including five days in isolation in Alabama before her transfer late last week.

The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to review the Trump administration’s authority to end temporary immigration protections for migrants from countries facing extraordinary conditions, taking up cases involving Temporary Protected Status (TPS) designations for Haiti and Syria, The Hill reports. The justices left in place lower court rulings that block the administration from terminating the protections while the case proceeds, with oral arguments expected the week of April 27 and a decision likely by summer. Created by Congress in 1990, TPS allows foreign nationals to remain in the United States and obtain work authorization when conditions such as armed conflict or natural disasters make it unsafe to return home.

Tennessee has joined 20 other states in filing an amicus brief urging the U.S. Supreme Court to review and overturn a federal appellate decision that struck down a Pennsylvania law requiring voters to handwrite the date on mail-in ballots. According to a press release, the brief supports a petition filed by the Republican National Committee and argues that the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit wrongly invalidated the rule in Eakin v. Adams County Board of Elections. The states contend the decision interferes with the authority of state legislatures to regulate elections and oversteps constitutional limits on the judicial role. In the filing, the states argue the ruling undermines federalism and the separation of powers by giving federal courts undue authority over election administration. The coalition also noted that the Supreme Court has never held that a neutral ballot-casting regulation imposes a severe burden on the right to vote when it applies equally to all voters and asked the court to grant review and ultimately reverse the Third Circuit’s decision.

Metro Councilmember Zulfat Suara's federal lawsuit against her former employer, Meharry Medical College, now has a tentative schedule. According to the Nashville Banner newsletter, on Friday, the court set a date of Sept. 21, 2027. Suara sued last year, alleging that her 2024 dismissal from a finance position at the historically Black medical college was discriminatory, as she contended that other similarly situated employees not of her national origin and religious beliefs were treated differently when they were dismissed. Meharry is seeking dismissal and has responded by claiming that Suara has put nothing on the record to substantiate the claim that Suara's treatment was due to her religious beliefs or national origin.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has expanded public assistance eligibility for impacts from Winter Storm Fern to more than 20 additional counties, including Shelby County, the Commercial Appeal reports. The program provides grant funding to eligible applicants to support emergency response, debris removal and the repair or restoration of damaged public infrastructure. U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Memphis, called the funding “essential” to help the county recover from the storm’s effects, which he said caused “extensive damages,” in a Feb. 9 letter to Gov. Bill Lee.

Entries for the TBA Administrative Law Section's Annual Writing Competition for law students currently enrolled in a Tennessee law school are due April 30. The section hosts the competition to promote an interest in and understanding of administrative law in the state, and to strengthen the relationship among administrative law professors, students and practitioners in Tennessee. The winning submission will be published in the Administrative Law Section newsletter and the winner will be awarded $1,000. View the competition rules for more information.