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.
“Justice has been served.” Those were the words of Marcus McLean after a Catawba County jury found a Hickory man guilty of first-degree murder in the death of McLean’s mother, Iris Ranae Robinson, on Thursday, May 22, 2025, bringing a … Read More
To recognize National Recovery Court Month, the recovery courts from Catawba and Burke counties took part in the third annual Recovery Court Kickball Tournament recently at New Jerusalem Lutheran Church in Hickory. The Catawba County Veterans’ Treatment Court team and … Read More
National Police Week will be observed May 11-17, 2025, with Thursday, May 15 designated as Peace Officers Memorial Day. In 2024, 148 federal, state, tribal and local law enforcement officers died in the line of duty. This year, 345 names … Read More
The Catawba County Veterans’ Treatment Court (VTC) hosted its sixth graduation ceremony on Friday, May 9, 2025, at the Catawba County Courthouse, recognizing the accomplishments of five more graduates. The ceremony honoring the achievements of Derius Pearson (U.S. Army), Anthony … Read More
Stephanie Leighann Harris, 31, of Hickory, was sentenced to serve six to eight years in prison following her conviction for aggravated felony death by vehicle, driving while impaired and driving while license revoked (impaired revocation) during Catawba County Superior Court … Read More
Tony Ray Kirkland II, 25, of Statesville, will spend six to eight years in prison after pleading guilty to trafficking methamphetamine by possession, robbery with a dangerous weapon and assaulting a detention officer during Catawba County Superior Court on Tuesday, … Read More
Legal assistants from the Catawba County District Attorney’s Office were treated to an outing of pottery painting and lunch in recognition of Administrative Professionals Day. The outing was provided in recognition for the work they do to provide assistance and … Read More
Lucas Shayne Scronce, 35, of Hickory, was sentenced to an active prison term of 15 to 19 years for second-degree murder following a guilty plea in Catawba County Superior Court on Tuesday, April 15, 2025. The Honorable Donald R. Cureton, … Read More
A Morganton man will serve life in prison without parole after he was found guilty of second-degree murder and murder of an unborn child at the conclusion of a nearly two-week trial in Burke County Superior Court on Thursday, April … Read More
Maynor Javier Yanes Basquez, 36, of Hickory, was sentenced to serve 57 to 75 years in prison following his conviction for multiple counts of trafficking methamphetamine and flee to elude arrest with a motor vehicle along with maintaining a vehicle … Read More