Defendant, George A. Mikita, was implicated in two separate home invasions and charged with various crimes as a result. Defendant entered guilty pleas to two counts of aggravated burglary, one count of theft of property valued at $1,000 or more, and one count of theft of property valued at $500 or more. Defendant was sentenced to an effective sentence of thirteen years after a sentencing hearing.

Defendant, Marcus Anthony Robey, timely filed a motion to withdraw his guilty plea to the Class C felony offense of possessing a firearm at a time when he had previously been convicted of a felony offense involving the use or attempted use of force, violence, or a deadly weapon. The motion was filed after sentence had been imposed pursuant to a negotiated plea agreement which involved other convictions that are not a part of this appeal. Following an evidentiary hearing, the trial court denied the motion.

Petitioner, John C. Crim, appeals the summary dismissal of his petition for post- conviction relief for failure to state a colorable claim. After careful review of the parties’ briefs, the record, and the applicable law, we conclude that the petition alleged a colorable claim of ineffective assistance of counsel, thereby entitling Petitioner to appointed counsel and to an opportunity to amend his petition with the aid of post- conviction counsel. Additional claims made by Petitioner were previously determined during his direct appeal and were, therefore, properly dismissed.

This is a parental termination case. Father appeals the trial court?s termination of his parental rights with regard to the minor child at issue. The trial court terminated Father?s parental rights based on its finding, by clear and convincing evidence, that Father abandoned the child by willful failure to visit and willful failure to support the child. The trial court further found, by clear and convincing evidence, that termination was in the best interests of the child. We affirm.

In this juvenile court case, Father filed a petition to modify the parenting plan to make him the primary residential parent. At the beginning of the hearing, the parties stipulated that there had been a material change of circumstances. We have concluded that the evidence does not preponderate against the trial court’s determination that it was in the child’s best interest for Mother to be the primary residential parent.

This appeal arises from the trial court’s award of damages stemming from an automobile accident. In 2003, plaintiff was injured when her vehicle was struck by a Memphis Police Department officer’s car in an intersection. After a non-jury trial, the trial court awarded plaintiff damages for pain and suffering and loss of enjoyment of life.

A free legal clinic will be held at the Benjamin L. Hooks Central Library Saturday from 10 a.m. to noon. The Memphis Bar Association’s Access to Justice Committee and Memphis Area Legal Services host the free, open-to-the-public event the second Saturday of each month. Burch Porter & Johnson PLLC and the legal department at International Paper are this month's sponsors. The Memphis Business Journal has more.

Learn more about the inside perspective on negotiating publishing deals and the “Blurred Lines” verdict at this year’s annual Entertainment and Sports CLE held at Belmont University College of Law on May 14. Visit TBA CLE for more information.

Doug Blaze, dean of the University of Tennessee College of Law will deliver the keynote address during the college’s spring Commencement hooding ceremony on May 8. The college’s students recommended Blaze as the keynote speaker for what will be the final hooding ceremony in which he participates as dean of the College of Law. In 2014, Blaze announced his decision to step down to return to teaching full-time and to serve as director of the college’s new Institute for Professional Leadership, which he co-founded.