JACKSON, Miss. (AP) – Former Southaven Mayor Greg Davis will get a new trial on embezzlement charges.

Mississippi's Court of Appeals Tuesday overturned Davis' 2014 conviction in DeSoto County on two felony charges. The court says the trial judge should have moved the trial outside DeSoto County because prosecutors failed to prove that Davis could get a fair trial there after widespread publicity.

Davis was found guilty of illegally purchasing a city-leased SUV without approval from aldermen in 2009. He bought the $25,000 vehicle for $11,000 before the city had the option to buy it. Davis also was found guilty of getting mileage reimbursement for gas charged to a city-issued card.

Davis was sentenced to 15 years but would only have served 2½ years.

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