NC judge reconsiders bond policy after repeat offender caught on camera fatally stabbing Iryna Zarutsk on Charlotte light rail

CHARLOTTE (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — In the wake of growing outrage over the fatal stabbing of Iryna Zarutska, a 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee, North Carolina’s Chief District Court Judge Roy Wiggins has responded to a formal call from GOP lawmakers demanding action.

All 10 Republican members of North Carolina’s U.S. House delegation signed a letter this week calling for the removal of Magistrate Judge Teresa Stokes, who released the accused, Decarlos Brown, earlier this year.

Despite Brown’s long criminal history, including at least 14 prior arrests for violent and weapons-related offenses, he was released in January on a written promise to appear in court.

“I, along with everyone in the court system, remain saddened by the death of Ms. Zarutska and shocked by this heinous crime,” Judge Wiggins wrote in a letter dated September 10.

Wiggins acknowledged the lawmakers’ concerns and said his office is currently reviewing the local bond policy. He also stressed the importance of ongoing education for magistrates, who are assigned with making early-stage decisions about bail and release conditions.

“We want to ensure that our magistrates comprehensively review each case and individual defendants to determine the potential danger to the community, while staying in compliance with statutory and constitutional guidelines and mandates,” Wiggins wrote.

Magistrate judges in North Carolina are appointed, not elected, and are not required to hold law degrees. Their role includes setting bond in the early stages of a criminal case.

Critics, including Congressman Tim Moore, argue that the current system failed Zarutska and needs urgent reform.

“North Carolina’s justice system failed Iryna Zarutska. She came to Charlotte looking for safety and a better life, but instead, she was brutally murdered by a repeat offender who never should’ve been let back on the streets,” said Rep. Moore. “Judge Stokes had the chance to protect the public and chose not to. It’s clear that she’s unfit to hold this consequential position and should be removed from the bench immediately.”

Lawmakers have also asked for a full review of Stokes’ previous bond rulings.

Surveillance video shows Brown stabbing Zarutska in a random, unprovoked attack on the Charlotte light rail. The murder has drawn national attention and led to reviews of public safety procedures on CATS transit systems, as well as scrutiny of bond-setting practices.