State of Tennessee, Appellee v. Sheryl L. Pendergrass, Appellant

Summary

The Tennessee Supreme Court held that the defendant failed to satisfy the mandatory prerequisites of Tenn. R.Crim. P. 37(b)(2)(iv) to reserve a certified question of law that is dispositive, and therefore reversed the Court of Criminal Appeals, dismissed the appeal, and reinstated the trial‑court judgment. The Court emphasized that a final order must contain an explicit statement of the certified question and that a post‑judgment order entered after the trial court lost jurisdiction cannot cure the defect.