State v. Christopher Lee Faulkner
Court: Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals Docket: W2025-02107-CCA-R9-CD Filed: March 30, 2026 County: Gibson County Outcome: Rule 9 interlocutory appeal denied
N. Cate Law defends Tennessee criminal appeals across Davidson County and Middle Tennessee. Free consultation: (615) 664-8083.
The Holding
The Court of Criminal Appeals denied the defendant’s Rule 9 application for interlocutory review of a trial court’s suppression-motion denial. The court held that Rule 9 review is discretionary and not warranted on the presented record.
Why It Matters
Defendants and their families often hear the phrase “we’ll appeal the suppression denial” and assume that means the appellate court will weigh in before trial. Faulkner is a good reminder that the Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals exercises significant discretion to refuse interlocutory review under Rule 9.
The practical lesson: in most Tennessee cases, a denied motion to suppress doesn’t get appellate review until after a trial and conviction (a direct appeal), or after a guilty plea preserving the issue under a Rule 11(a) certified question. That’s a long road, and it changes the strategic calculation about whether to plead, fight, or take a Rule 11(a) plea.
If your case turns on a suppression issue, your attorney should be thinking about the certified-question option from the very first hearing — not after the trial court has ruled.
Statute / Rule References
Tennessee Rule of Appellate Procedure 9; Tennessee Rule of Criminal Procedure 11(a)
Read the Opinion
You can find the full opinion on the Tennessee Courts website. Search the Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals 2026 opinions index by docket number W2025-02107-CCA-R9-CD.
Charged with a Tennessee Criminal Case?
I’m Nathan Cate. I defend criminal cases in Davidson, Williamson, Rutherford, Sumner, Wilson, and Maury Counties. If your case touches the issues above — or any other Tennessee criminal matter — call (615) 664-8083 for a free consultation. I’ll review the charging document, run the procedural posture, and tell you what your case actually looks like.
N. Cate Law 222 2nd Avenue North, Suite 220 Nashville, TN 37201 catelaw.com · Practice Areas
This is a summary of a published opinion, not legal advice. Holdings cited may evolve as later cases distinguish or overrule them. If you have a pending case that touches one of these issues, contact N. Cate Law for case-specific guidance.
#NashvilleCriminalLawyer #TennesseeCriminalAppeal #Suppression #Procedure