Officials said the total represents the highest level of superior court trial activity since pandemic-related shutdowns altered court calendars statewide.
“The sustained high level of trial activity demonstrates our commitment to holding offenders accountable and moving cases through the court system efficiently,” Assistant District Attorney Kyle Sherard said in a statement.
Among the cases prosecuted in 2025 were four first-degree murder trials involving Danqueris Green in January, Cody Guyton in June, Kevion Edgerton in July and Nicholas Stephenson in September. Prosecutors also handled a second-degree murder case against Eric Wilson in May and an involuntary manslaughter case involving Samantha Higgins in March.
In addition to homicide cases, juries heard prosecutions involving drug trafficking, sexual offenses, assaults on law enforcement officers and emergency responders, robbery, elder abuse, arson, gun-related crimes and other violent offenses. Sherard, along with Assistant District Attorneys Blair Barker, Blythe McCoy, Austin Braxton and Stormy Ellis, led the prosecution in 26 of the jury trials.
The district attorney’s office said the number of trials marked a significant increase from previous years following the pandemic. Jury trial schedules in 2024 were interrupted by two shutdowns tied to the rollout of the state’s eCourts system and later by Tropical Storm Helene. Prosecutors maintained largely uninterrupted trial calendars through most of 2025, with several cases requiring multi-week proceedings.
Some additional trial terms were handled by the N.C. Attorney General’s Office, which prosecuted certain Buncombe County criminal matters during the year.
“Every jury trial represents real victims seeking justice and defendants receiving their constitutional right to a jury trial,” District Attorney Todd Williams said. “Our prosecutors strive to approach each case with professionalism and dedication, regardless of its complexity or public profile.”
The district attorney’s office credited cooperation from law enforcement agencies, victim advocates, court staff and community members for the increase in trial activity.
The Buncombe County District Attorney’s Office prosecutes criminal cases in superior and district court and is responsible for enforcing criminal law across the county, with an emphasis on public safety and victims’ rights.
