Appeals rulings at odds over Confederate-themed jury room

By JONATHAN MATTISE
Associated Press

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Two Black men who challenged their criminal convictions after jurors deliberated in a Tennessee courthouse room containing Confederate symbols have received opposite rulings from different judges on the same appeals court. One was granted a new trial. The other was denied. The conflicting decisions likely mean the matter will be appealed to the state Supreme Court to sort out the discrepancy. The rulings from two three-judge panels of the Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals center on trials held at the Giles County Courthouse. This week, a panel ruled against a new trial for Barry Jamal Martin. Last December, another panel favored a new trial for Tim Gilbert.