Confederate general's portrait removed from Va. courtroom

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MARTINSVILLE, Va. (AP) - A portrait of Confederate Gen. J.E.B. Stuart has been removed from a Patrick County courtroom.

The Martinsville Bulletin reports that Judge Martin F. Clark issued a statement on Tuesday announcing he removed the portrait from the Circuit Court's courtroom on Aug. 19.

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Clark says a courtroom should be a place that is fair and neutral. He says a portrait of a uniformed Confederate general who was a slave owner doesn't comport with that standard.

The judge says a policy allowing Confederate flags to be displayed at demonstrations and events outside the building in the court square won't change.

Confederate symbols have come under increased public scrutiny since the June 17 massacre of nine black worshippers at a church in Charleston, South Carolina.

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