RALEIGH, N.C.  – A North Carolina judge is due to rule on whether to continue a lawsuit protesting former Gov. Mike Easley’s policy of destroying e-mail correspondence.

A Wake County judge will hear arguments Monday on whether to dismiss the lawsuit.

Gov. Beverly Perdue ordered last month that most e-mails sent or received by executive-branch employees should be preserved to comply with public records laws. Easley issued a similar order on his final day in office in January.

Media organizations including The Associated Press accused Easley and his administration of violating the state’s public records law for deleting e-mail messages. The lawsuit came after a former administration spokeswoman described a policy of deleting e-mails sent to and from the governor’s office.