NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A federal appeals court says a judge was right when he cleared the way to remove a Confederate monument at a north Louisiana courthouse.
The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Monday again turned back claims from the United Daughters of the Confederacy's Shreveport chapter.
The group says it has a "private property interest" in the land where the statue stands in front of the Caddo (KAD-oh) Parish Courthouse. It also claims parish officials violated its rights to free speech and equal protection.
A federal judge in Monroe threw out the suit last year.
A three-judge panel upheld Judge Robert James's opinion, calling it "exhaustive and well-reasoned." On Monday, the judges declined to reconsider.
The chapter's attorney did not immediately respond to phoned and emailed requests for comment.
