Legal Battle Continues Over Confederate Monument In Winston-Salem

A Confederate monument lawsuit that drew a standing-room-only crowd to a Forsyth County courthouse Monday will continue for at least another day. A follow-up hearing is scheduled for Tuesday.

Superior Court Judge Eric Morgan said he needed more time to hear motions from both sides.

One of the motions is a request to dismiss the case. That came from the city and another defendant, Winston Courthouse LLC, a private company that now owns the property where the statue once stood.

City officials removed the monument in March.

A big question is: did the city have the right to do that?

The United Daughters of the Confederacy says Forsyth County might have the final say, since it was excluded in the sale of the former courthouse. If so, the statue could be protected by a 2015 state law.

City officials say it's a public nuisance and a safety concern. Winston Courthouse LLC also asked UDC to remove it.

The Confederate monument had been at the corner of Fourth and Liberty Streets in Winston-Salem since 1905. Supporters say it serves as a memorial to local soldiers who died during the Civil War. The monument was vandalized twice in recent years. A few protests were also held in front of it over the past several months.

You can follow WFDD's Keri Brown on Twitter @kerib_news