Judge Halts Virginia Governor’s Plan to Remove Robert E. Lee Statue, Cites 130-Year-Old Statute

A Virginia judge has thrown a wrench into Gov. Ralph Northam’s (D-VA) plans to remove the iconic statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee from the state capital.

Richmond Circuit Court Judge Bradley B. Cavedo issued a 10-day injunction on Monday that would keep the statue in place, MRC TV reported. Cavedo ruled that Northam’s directive violated a 130-year-old deed agreement filed in Henrico County that guarantees the statue remains in place and that the commonwealth “faithfully guard it and affectionately protect it.”

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“Governor Northam remains committed to removing this divisive symbol from Virginia’s capital city, and we’re confident in his authority to do so,” Northam press secretary Alena Yarmosky said in a statement Monday night.

Northam ordered the statue to be removed last Thursday, The Daily Wire reported.

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“But the Lee statue is unique, both in size and in legal status. The state owns it, unlike most other statues––that was part of the plan to keep it up forever. It sits on a 100-foot circle of land, a state-owned island, surrounded by the City of Richmond,” Northam added. “And when it’s the biggest thing around, it sends a clear message: This is what we value the most. But that’s just not true anymore. In Virginia, we no longer preach a false version of history.”

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Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney spoke on Thursday with Northam as well, and announced at that time that the four other Confederate statues on Monument Avenue would be removed as well. {snip}

Over the weekend, protesters toppled a Confederate statue dedicated to Confederate Gen. William Carter Wickham, which was in Monroe Park, The Daily Wire reported. {snip}