The state of Maine again has been rejected in its effort to force the return of a copy of the Declaration of Independence held by a Virginia citizen.
The Supreme Court of Virginia today brushed aside Maine’s characterization of the document as a “public record,” noting that it was created at a private print shop and was never held in a government office.
“The fact that the print was not made by an authorized public officer and was not intended to be the official memorial of the Declaration precluded the print from qualifying as a ‘public record’ under the common law,” wrote Justice Barbara Milano Keenan for the court.
The decision is here.
By Peter Vieth
