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Charlottesville Effort to Remove Confederate Statue Faces Legal Uncertainty

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CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) - A recent court ruling in Norfolk makes one of the remaining defense arguments for Charlottesville City Council's vote to remove two Confederate statues look more uncertain.

The Daily Progress reports most of the major issues have been ruled on, but a defense argument that the statues violate the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment remains.

A Norfolk judge recently dismissed a similar lawsuit by activists who wanted to move a Confederate monument.

Still, a University of Virginia law professor says there is some differences in the cases.

Richard Schragger says arguments in the Norfolk case came from activists in a civil complaint, and the Charlottesville arguments came from the city and its councilors.

He says the standing question is not quite the same, and that can make a difference.

Don Rush is the News Director and Senior Producer of News and Public Affairs at Delmarva Public Media. An award-winning journalist, Don reports major local issues of the day, from sea level rise, to urban development, to the changing demographics of Delmarva.