Rep. Randy Fine, R-Fla., said he will introduce legislation to hold judges accountable when violent repeat offenders they release commit new crimes, citing the recent killing of a Ukrainian refugee in Charlotte.
"I’m going to introduce legislation to hold judges accountable when violent repeat offenders they release commit new crimes," Fine wrote on X. "It’s easy to release criminals when you’re protected by an armed bailiff at all times. The rest of us aren’t so lucky."
Fine’s announcement followed the arrest last month of Decarlos Brown Jr., 34, who was charged with first-degree murder in the fatal stabbing of 23-year-old Iryna Zarutska, a Ukrainian immigrant who had come to the United States to escape the war, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department said.
Brown has a prior criminal history, including a 2015 guilty plea to robbery with a dangerous weapon. Court and arrest records show he had been arrested multiple times in recent years, including an alleged misuse of the 911 system in January, after which he was released without bail.
In his X post, Fine specifically cited judges who ordered Brown’s release and wrote that they "should have their day in court too." He did not provide detailed text of the legislation or explain how judicial accountability would be structured under the proposal.
Elon Musk responded to Fine’s post on X, endorsing the idea with the comment, "Sorely needed!" Musk’s reaction amplified attention to the congressman’s proposal on the platform.
Fine won a special election earlier this year to join the U.S. House of Representatives. In his announcement about the bill, he framed the move as a response to what he described as a pattern of repeat offenders being released and committing further violent crimes.
It was not immediately clear what penalties or mechanisms Fine’s proposed legislation would include, how broadly it would apply across the judicial system, or how other members of Congress and legal groups would respond. Representatives for Fine did not provide additional legislative language or a timeline for introduction when asked.
The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department has said the investigation into Zarutska’s death is ongoing. Prosecutors will determine whether the state pursues the first-degree murder charge against Brown through the court process already in place.