New trial after jury met in room with Confederate symbols

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A Tennessee appeals court has granted a new trial for a Black man who was convicted of aggravated assault by an all-white jury that deliberated in a room containing Confederate symbols. The Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals ruled Friday that Tim Gilbert deserves a new trial on charges stemming from a December 2018 altercation. Gilbert was sentenced to six years in prison after his conviction on numerous charges, including aggravated assault, and reckless endangerment. His attorney appealed, arguing that his right to a fair trial was violated because the jury deliberated in a room adorned with Confederate symbols. The court said the symbols amounted to “extraneous prejudicial information.”