Judge tosses complaint to force return of Confederate statue

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – A North Carolina judge has dismissed a complaint which sought to have a city return a Confederate statue to the site from which it was removed almost two months ago.

A Forsyth County judge on Wednesday dismissed the complaint from the United Daughters of the Confederacy, adding that the group can’t return to court with the same complaint.

In its lawsuit, the UDC claimed the city of Winston-Salem couldn’t legally move the statue because of a state law regarding publicly owned monuments. The city countered that the statue is owned by the UDC, which had earlier claimed ownership.

Workers removed the statue and pedestal from the old courthouse grounds on March 12. Plans call for the monument to be relocated to a cemetery.