Burke County’s Superior Court was back in session this past week, with new and returning faces appearing from behind the “Court Officials Only” door, jingling as the chains around their waists and ankles shifted in the quiet courtroom.
Michael James Moretz, the man accused of murdering Joseph Byrd and Michael Hallyburton on Aug. 31, 2025, appeared in Superior Court on Tuesday morning, his first procedural appearance since the state escalated the trial to the capital level.
A Burke County superior court judge on Monday continued the case against Stanley Travis Stancil, the former organizer of “Dancing with the Burke Stars,” pushing his next court appearance to June 1.
A Burke County superior court judge on Monday continued the case against Stanley Travis Stancil, the former organizer of “Dancing with the Burke Stars,” pushing his next court appearance to June 1.
Lippert’s extensive background and board-certified specialization place her alongside criminal defendants nearly every day, representing cases concerning the public’s most stigmatized crimes.
On Tuesday morning, former Patton High School Exceptional Children teacher Christopher Bailey entered the Burke County Courthouse in a black and white striped jumpsuit, the chains on his handcuffs jingling quietly as he took a seat next to his attorney.
Morganton resident Timothy Rooks, an attorney with more than 30 years of experience, has been appointed by Gov. Josh Stein as a N.C. Superior Court judge, filling a vacancy created when Superior Court Judge Robert Ervin retired at the end of August.
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