Legal drama continues to unfold in the case surrounding Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant as attorneys for the plaintiff, Joshua Holloway, have been permitted to drop their representation. Shelby County Circuit Court Judge Carol Chumney granted the motion for attorneys Rebecca Adelman and Leslie Ballin to withdraw during a May 3 hearing. The decision gives Holloway, the teen who accuses Morant of assault, a mere 30 days to find new legal representation, as detailed in reports by Local Memphis.
Holloway's legal team filed the motion to withdraw on April 19, citing a conflict with the plaintiff that impeded their "independent professional judgment." The exact nature of this conflict was not specified in court documents. With a trial that was set to begin in April now delayed indefinitely, the young Holloway faces the need to quickly secure substitute counsel—or to risk to have to represent himself in the proceedings, according to a report from WREG.
This litigious saga began after an incident in July 2022, when Holloway claimed Morant and Morant's friend Davonte Pack struck him during a pickup basketball game at Morant's home. Morant, who has never faced criminal charges related to this event, admitted to hitting the then-17-year-old Holloway but argued it was an act of self-defense. A judge previously ruled in April that based on Tennessee's self-defense immunity statute, Morant was not liable for the altercation. This decision aligned with Morant's claim that he was merely standing his ground, as mentioned in coverage by Action News 5.
In the wake of their counsel's withdrawal, Holloway's family appears determined to see the case through. Myca Clay, Holloway's mother, asserted her resolve, "I’m just trying to get justice for my son. I’m not open to settling the case," she told Local Memphis. As the judicial gears grind on, this heated dispute seems far from a conclusion, with Morant’s legal team standing by the judge’s ruling and Holloway's side vehemently searching for new avenues to pursue their claims of justice.
