State of Tennessee v. Douglas Ray Murrell

The defendant, Douglas Ray Murrell, pled guilty to one count of driving a vehicle under the influence of an intoxicant in violation of Tennessee Code Annotated section 55-10-401(a)(1) (2010), a Class A misdemeanor; pled nolo contendere to one count of failure to maintain lane in violation of Tennessee Code Annotated section 55-8-123, a Class C misdemeanor; and pled guilty to one count of driving a vehicle with a blood alcohol concentration greater than 0.08 percent in violation of Tennessee Code Annotated section 55-10-401(a)(2), a Class A misdemeanor.  The trial court merged the two DUI convictions.  In pleading guilty to the DUI charges, the defendant reserved a certified question pursuant to Tennessee Rule of Criminal Procedure 37, challenging the trial court’s conclusion that the initial stop of his vehicle was supported by reasonable suspicion.  After reviewing the record, we affirm the judgment of the trial court.