News and Press Releases from the DA's Office

Below you will find information about the latest pleas, trials, and important developments in Burke, Caldwell, and Catawba Counties. As an office, we are bound by the Rules of Professional Conduct for all North Carolina attorneys, and special rules for prosecutors. Therefore, we often only comment on cases after final disposition.

For all media inquiries and requests, for all three counties, please contact Nathan Key by phone: 828-695-6193 or email: Nathan.D.Key@nccourts.org.


Lady Justice Statue

DA Reilly Clears US Marshals in Deadly Standoff

The United States Marshals involved in the fatal shooting of a man following a standoff in Hudson have been deemed justified in their use of deadly force. Based on a review of the findings from an investigation by the North … Read More

County Approves DA’s Request for Veterans’ Court Grant Submission

On Monday April 20, 2020, District Attorney Scott Reilly appeared before the Catawba County Board of County Commissioners along with Tammy West, District Attorney Legal Assistant, and Jennifer Mace, Catawba County Budget and Management Director, regarding implementation of a Veterans’ Treatment Court in Catawba County. … Read More

Robbery and Assault Lands Defendant 8-12 Years

Ezra Harold Patton, 23, of Morganton, was given an active prison sentence of eight to 12 years following his conviction for multiple crimes during Burke County Superior Court on Monday, February 17, 2020. The Honorable Steve Warren, Superior Court Judge from Buncombe County, imposed the prison term for Patton after he pleaded … Read More

Domestic-Related 2nd Degree Murder Lands Hudson Man 20-25 Years

A Hudson man was sentenced to serve more than two decades in prison following his conviction for second-degree murder during Caldwell County Superior Court on Monday, February 17, 2020. Nathan Alexander Vasquez, 25, was given an active prison sentence of 20 to 25 … Read More