State of Tennessee v. Maurice Edward Carter

The defendant, Maurice Edward Carter, pled guilty in Smith County to one count of aggravated statutory rape and one count of criminal exposure to HIV for an effective sentence of twenty years. Additionally, he pled guilty in Rutherford County to four counts of aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor, two counts of solicitation of sexual exploitation of a minor, one count of statutory rape, and one count of criminal exposure to HIV for an effective sentence of twenty years, to be served concurrently with his Smith County sentences. As a condition of his guilty pleas, the defendant reserved a certified question of law pursuant to Rule 37(b)(2)(A) of the Tennessee Rules of Criminal Procedure regarding the denial of his motions to suppress the stop and search of his automobile, and his subsequent statement to police and evidence obtained during the execution of search warrants. After review, we conclude that the record supports the findings of the trial courts that the motions to suppress were without merit and that the certified question is not dispositive of the charges against the defendant and, as a result, this court is without jurisdiction to consider the appeal. Accordingly, the appeal is dismissed.