It’s like clockwork.
Every 60 days, Durham County District Attorney Leon Stanback asks to have the records associated with Faith Hedgepeth’s case resealed.
And every 60 days, the public is denied another chance at knowing just what happened in the last few hours of Faith Hedgepeth’s life.
Faith Hedgepeth was a UNC junior when she was found dead in her off-campus apartment. Three days after her death, a Durham County Superior Court judge sealed multiple search warrants and a 911 call associated with Hedgepeth’s case.
On Monday, The Daily Tar Heel, Capital Broadcasting Company, Inc. and the News and Observer Publishing Company filed a motion asking the court to vacate its sealing orders.
“The information sought … has been effectively under seal for nearly 18 months via a series of orders extending the duration of the sealing orders without notice or hearing,” the motion said.
The media organizations will be represented by Stevens Martin Vaughn and Tadych, PLLC in court. A hearing date has not yet been set.
In the motion, the media companies argue the courts failed to give a written motion outlining the compelling government interests that justify keeping the records sealed, which is required under North Carolina Public Records Law and the North Carolina constitution.
The news organizations said some of the orders to seal the records were issued before search warrants were even served — meaning the orders to seal the records were at least partly grounded in speculation.
