NC Republicans Demand Firing Of Judge Who Freed Ukrainian Refugee’s Attacker
Republicans from North Carolina’s congressional delegation are calling for the immediate removal of a state magistrate judge who freed a repeat violent offender later accused of murdering a young Ukrainian refugee in Charlotte.
All ten Republican House members from the state signed a letter demanding formal proceedings against Magistrate Judge Teresa Stokes, blasting her decision to release Decarlos Brown earlier this year “exclusively on the basis of his ‘written promise’ to appear for a future court date.”
Brown, now charged with fatally stabbing 23-year-old Iryna Zarutska on a Charlotte train, had a long and dangerous criminal history. Court records show at least 14 prior arrests for serious crimes, including possession of a firearm by a felon, armed robbery, and physical assault. Despite that record, Judge Stokes chose to release him without bond.
Republican lawmakers argued her decision represents a failure of judicial duty:
“Ms. Zarutska’s murder was not only a profound personal tragedy but also a direct result of a failure of judicial responsibility. By releasing a repeat violent offender on nothing more than his written promise to appear, Magistrate Stokes displayed a willful failure to perform the duties of her office and engaged in conduct prejudicial to the administration of justice,” wrote Rep. Tim Moore, R-N.C., and his colleagues.
The lawmakers demanded a full review of Stokes’ past bond rulings, stating that her choices “undermined public confidence in the judicial system and exposed the community to wholly preventable harm.”
A Preventable Tragedy
Zarutska fled Ukraine in 2022 after Russia’s invasion, seeking safety and opportunity in the United States. According to local reports, she was riding home from work when Brown — a homeless man diagnosed with schizophrenia — sat behind her on the train and attacked without provocation. The brutal killing was captured on surveillance video.
Federal authorities have now stepped in. The Justice Department and FBI announced this week that Brown, 34, has been charged federally with committing an act of murder on a mass transportation system. That comes on top of the first-degree murder charge he faces in state court.
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi called Zarutska’s murder a tragedy born of failed soft-on-crime policies:
“Iryna Zarutska was a young woman living the American dream — her horrific murder is a direct result of failed soft-on-crime policies that put criminals before innocent people. I have directed my attorneys to federally prosecute DeCarlos Brown Jr., a repeat violent offender with a history of violent crime, for murder. We will seek the maximum penalty for this unforgivable crime, and he will never again see the light of day as a free man.”
FBI Director Kash Patel echoed the outrage:
“The FBI jumped to assist in this investigation immediately to ensure justice is served, and the perpetrator is never released from jail to kill again.”
Bigger Picture: A Broken Justice System
The case is now being held up by Republicans as a tragic example of America’s broken urban justice system, where progressive judges and soft-on-crime policies continue to put violent offenders back on the streets.
It also comes amid ongoing debates over President Donald Trump’s strong stance against violent crime. The president has deployed the National Guard into major cities to restore law and order — a move Democrats have resisted but which cases like this continue to validate.
Republicans insist the failure of Judge Stokes must be corrected. “North Carolinians deserve to know that those entrusted with judicial authority exercise it with diligence, responsibility, and regard for the safety of the community,” the GOP lawmakers wrote.
For Zarutska, who escaped war only to be killed on American soil, that diligence came too late.