Did LR Hide the Trial Over the Capitol Guards Monument Removal? (AR)
Bench trial over removed Little Rock Confederate statue planned for Thursday
Yes, I know yesterday was Thursday. It’s funny how the media publishes articles like this just a few minutes before court time. Thanks Arkansas Demo-Gaz. This is becoming a common media tactic. Only publicize after it’s too late, but claim you covered it. Somehow I’ll bet mayor scott made sure the anti-Southern bigots got the word. Wouldn’t want any of those pesky monument supporters to show up, would you... - DD
A bench trial regarding the city of Little Rock's removal of a Confederate statue at MacArthur Park is scheduled for Thursday at 9 a.m. in Pulaski County Circuit Court.
Pulaski County Circuit Judge Patricia James will preside over the trial. Attorney Joey McCutchen, of Fort Smith, will be representing plaintiff James Frank Clark III, who is described in court documents as a Little Rock taxpayer and resident, in the lawsuit against the city.
The monument was removed in June 2020, amid nationwide racial-justice protests. This came after the base of the statue was vandalized with a varnish-like substance. The base was boarded up, and in May 2021, it was also removed. Two other markers tied to the Confederacy, a granite block and a bench, were also removed from the park.
The monument, which is known as the "Memorial to Company A, Capital Guards," featured a bronze statue of a Confederate soldier atop a pedestal. It was erected in 1911 as part of a reunion of Confederate veterans.
According to a complaint filed by McCutchen, the removal of the Confederate monument may violate Act 1003 of 2021. Titled the Arkansas State Capitol and Historical Monument Protection Act, the law bars the removal or relocation of historical monuments on public property, including those commemorating…