A group of Virginia residents on Thursday filed a notice of appeal seeking to overturn a judge’s ruling that allows Gov. Ralph Northam to remove a statue of Confederate icon Robert E. Lee.
Richmond Circuit Judge W. Reilly Marchant ruled in favor of the governor on Tuesday. He found that the plaintiffs’ argument that the removal would violate restrictive covenants in the property deeds “would be contrary to current public policy.”
The decision also halted removal of the massive monument to allow the plaintiffs to appeal within one month, which prompted Mr. Northam to file a motion Thursday for reconsideration.
Judge Marchant responded with an amended order reinstating an earlier injunction stalling the removal while the appeal is pending.
The residents filed the lawsuit against state officials in July after Mr. Northam ordered the statue to be removed from historic Monument Avenue amid nationwide protests over police brutality and racism.
State Attorney General Mark Herring said in a press release Thursday that he “will continue this fight until this divisive memorial to Virginia’s racist past is finally brought down and [will] continue to push for a final resolution as quickly as possible.”
• Emily Zantow can be reached at ezantow@washingtontimes.com.
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