North Carolina court says county doesn’t have to remove Confederate statue

ALAMANCE COUNTY, N.C. — There are new developments in the fight over Confederate monuments in North Carolina after the state court of appeals weighed in on an ongoing case in Alamance County.

According to a North Carolina Court of Appeals ruling on Tuesday, Alamance County Commissioners didn’t violate the law when they refused to remove Confederate monuments from the county courthouse.

The NAACP for both the state and Alamance County sued the county for what they claimed was an effort to “protect” a monument of a Confederate soldier. The group said the county was acting “unconstitutionally” by violating the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment and North Carolina’s pen courts clause.

The battle over the Confederate monument has been going on for years. Nearly a decade ago, supporters of the monument collected thousands of signatures to deliver to county commissioners.

A lower court ruled in favor of the county, but the NAACP appealed.

Tuesday’s ruling from the court of appeals was based on a state statute known as the Monument Protection Law. The three-judge panel said the county leaders don’t have the authority to remove the monuments because of that law.

The NAACP of Alamance County sent Channel 9 a statement acknowledging the ruling, adding that “the matter now rests with our Legal Redress Committee, which will work in consultation with our attorneys and other relevant parties to determine the appropriate next steps.”

(WATCH: Confederate monument will stay outside Gaston County Courthouse, ruling says)

Confederate monument will stay outside Gaston County Courthouse, ruling says

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