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-Land of the Free
Judge blocks Confederate monument's removal
2016-05-04
[COURIER-JOURNAL] A Jefferson County Circuit judge on Monday issued a restraining order to block removal of the controversial Confederate monument near the University of Louisville.

"You can't just erase history by tearing down monuments. That's what the Taliban does, that's what ISIS does. We don't do that in America."
Judge Judith McDonald-Burkman issued the order Monday morning against Mayor Greg Fischer and metro government, barring them from moving, disassembling or otherwise tampering with the 70-foot-tall monument.

GOP congressional hopeful Everett Corley filed the temporary restraining order in Jefferson Circuit Court to stop Fischer and U of L President James Ramsey from removing the monument from the school's campus. Also listed as plaintiffs are the Sons of Confederate Veterans, Kentucky Division, and its "Chief of Heritage Defense," and political activist Ed Springston.

A hearing is set for Thursday at 10:30 a.m. to consider their motion for a full temporary injunction.

"This restraining order is about respecting veterans," said Corley, a real estate agent, who argued it was the "equivalent of a book burning" and smacked of political correctness gone awry.

Jefferson County Attorney Mike O'Connell said he would fight the restraining order, which he said took him by surprise. He said no one from his office was at the hearing, and his office is seeking a continuance so that lawyers have more time to prepare for the hearing on the full injunction. A hearing on that motion is set for Tuesday morning.

"We'll obviously comply with whatever those orders are ... but we will move to immediately set this aside," he said. "This is a question of law and a question of facts. I'm not over here to politically grandstand like this gentleman is," he said, referring to Corley.

Thomas McAdam, an attorney for the plaintiffs, said the suit is based on several arguments in hopes of turning the order into a permanent injunction to keep the monument in place.

He said the basis of the lawsuit is that the mayor violated several laws, including not going through proper local, state and federal laws including historic preservation procedures. Because of the monument's placement on the national register of historic places, he said, notifications and hearings are required. The suit argues the move also violates the Kentucky Military Heritage Act and other state laws.

"We expect our elected officials to follow the law. The mayor has not followed the law," he said. "All we want is a fair hearing, all we want is to let the people know that this is part of our heritage, and you can't just erase history by tearing down monuments. That's what the Taliban does, that's what ISIS does. We don't do that in America."
Posted by:Fred

#4   "This is a question of law and a question of facts. I'm not over here to politically grandstand like this gentleman is," he said, referring to Corley.

Lying bullshiter
Posted by: Frank G   2016-05-04 08:56  

#3  #2 is correct. Being on the Nat'l Register creates all sorts of barriers to do anything with it other than leave it be
Posted by: Frank G   2016-05-04 08:55  

#2  I believe it's on the National Register of Historic Places so it will take a court order to move it.
Posted by: Deacon Blues   2016-05-04 08:48  

#1  Yeah! Don't just remove the monument under the cover of darkness! Blow it up in the middle of the day with massive press coverage! That'll teach all those dead white guys.
Posted by: Bobby   2016-05-04 08:22  

00:00