Republican lawmakers in North Carolina on Wednesday asked the state’s chief district court judge to begin formal proceedings to remove a magistrate who released a man on cashless bail who later is accused of fatally stabbing a Ukrainian refugee on a Charlotte light rail train.
Ten members of the North Carolina House GOP signed a letter to Chief District Court Judge Roy Wiggins calling for the removal of Magistrate Teresa Stokes for what they described as a “reckless” decision to release Decarlos Brown Jr. after a January arrest, despite his lengthy criminal history and apparent mental health issues. The letter, posted by Rep. Tim Moore (R-N.C.) on X, said the decision to free Brown "based solely on his ‘written promise’ to appear for a future court date" had "devastating consequences."
In the letter, the lawmakers wrote that "Ms. Zarutska’s murder was not only a profound personal tragedy but also a direct result of a failure of judicial responsibility," and accused Stokes of a "willful failure to perform the duties of her office." The letter was co-signed by Reps. Virginia Foxx, David Rouzer, Richard Hudson, Chuck Edwards, Gregory F. Murphy, Addison P. McDowell, Mark Harris, Pat Harrigan and Brad Knott.
Moore, who led the effort, said in his X post that "this tragedy was preventable. There must be accountability. North Carolinians deserve better." The lawmakers asked Wiggins to initiate formal removal proceedings, a step that would trigger review under the state’s judicial conduct rules.
Brown, 34, who is accused of killing 23-year-old Iryna Zarutska on Aug. 22, had been arrested at least 14 times in North Carolina dating back to 2007 on charges that include assault, firearms possession, felony robbery and larceny. Records cited by the lawmakers and local reporting show a 2014 armed robbery conviction that led to a jail term; court records indicate he was released in September 2020 and was jailed again five months later on an assault charge involving a family member.
Brown’s most recent arrest before the August killing came in January, when officers responded to false 911 calls in which he reportedly made incoherent claims about being controlled by devices. According to the letter from the GOP lawmakers, Stokes released Brown two days after that arrest on a cashless bond that required only his written promise to appear in court. While free on that release, police say Brown approached Zarutska on the Charlotte light rail and stabbed her; surveillance video released by the Charlotte Area Transit System shows the attack. He was arrested as he stepped off the train and is being held without bond in the Mecklenburg County Jail on state murder charges.
Zarutska, who arrived in the United States in 2022 after fleeing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, worked at a local restaurant, colleagues and officials said. Her death has drawn national attention and prompted statements from federal and national political figures.
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi on Tuesday announced a federal criminal charge in the case and characterized the killing as a consequence of "failed soft-on-crime policies," saying the victim had been "living the American dream." Former President Donald Trump, speaking about the killing, called the accused a "lunatic" and said there are "evil people" that must be confronted.
Brown’s family members have told media outlets that he has long struggled with schizophrenia and that his mental-health issues should have been considered in decisions to release him. His brother said the justice system could have "prevented" the murder.
Judicial removal proceedings are uncommon and typically require an investigation and findings that a judge engaged in misconduct or failed to perform the duties of the office. The GOP letter asks Wiggins to begin that formal process; it did not specify the procedural steps the lawmakers expect beyond initiating proceedings. The magistrate and court officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Authorities continue to investigate the killing and the circumstances surrounding Brown’s January release. Brown faces state murder charges and the federal charge announced by the Justice Department, and court proceedings are expected to determine both his criminal culpability and any wider administrative or disciplinary consequences for the magistrate who ordered his release.
