Judge closes hearing to unseal search warrant at Sheriff's Office

NEWTON, N.C. — Channel 9 filed a motion in court to unseal a search warrant at the Catawba County Sheriff's Office but a judge in Gaston County closed the hearing on May 3.

Eyewitness News reporter Dave Faherty first broke the news of that search by North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation agents two weeks ago.

The judge could make a decision Friday on whether to unseal the search warrants.

Catawba County sheriff candidate denies stalking allegations

SBI officials said they came to Catawba County after sheriff candidate Jason Reid was accused of stalking an ex-girlfriend last year.

Channel 9 learned that Reid, who was campaigning Tuesday and is the son of current Sheriff Coy Reid, is accused of using a county tracking device from the narcotics office on the woman's car.

Catawba Co. won't release texts, emails involving SBI search warrant

At the time, Reid supervised the narcotics office.

The day of the search, his father and his attorney went to a superior court judge and asked to have the search warrant sealed, according to the lawsuit.

Court papers indicate that hearing took place in chambers outside the public's view.

Papers also said that neither the SBI nor the district attorney asked for the search warrant to be sealed.

Court papers said, "Upon information and belief, the only justification that has been or could be made for the sealing of the search warrant, is potential damage to the reputation or candidacy of Jason Reid in the May 8 primary. Neither of these interests supports the extraordinary measure of sealing search warrants."

Jason Reid told Channel 9 on May 1 he had no comment and no longer works for the Sheriff’s Office. His father said that, on the day of the search, neither he nor his attorney asked to have the search warrant sealed.

Cox Media Group