Moore: “Judge Who Freed Killer Unfit for the Bench—Remove Her Now”

In the wake of the horrific stabbing death of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska on a Charlotte light rail train, North Carolina Congressman Tim Moore is leading a coalition of the state’s Republican House delegation in demanding accountability. In a formal letter sent Tuesday to Chief District Court Judge Roy Wiggins, Moore and all nine of his fellow North Carolina GOP colleagues in the U.S. House are calling for the removal of Magistrate Judge Teresa Stokes, the judicial officer who released the accused killer, Decarlos Brown Jr., on a written promise to appear earlier this year—despite his extensive and violent criminal record.

“North Carolina’s justice system failed Iryna Zarutska,” Moore said in a statement accompanying the letter. “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. 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.”

Magistrate judges in North Carolina are appointed officials responsible for making early-stage decisions in criminal cases, such as setting bond or release conditions. Unlike elected judges, magistrates are not required to hold law degrees. Critics argue that this lack of rigorous qualification, combined with ideological leniency, can pose serious risks to public safety—risks tragically exemplified in this case.

According to the letter, Judge Stokes’s decision to release Brown was made in January 2025, despite a troubling record that included at least 14 prior arrests for violent offenses, including robbery with a dangerous weapon and physical assault. In one 2014 case, Brown was sentenced to five years in prison for armed robbery. The charge he faced in January, a Class 1 misdemeanor, stemmed from a combative encounter with police officers. Yet no bond was set, and no conditions were imposed on his release.

That decision, the lawmakers argue, proved fatal. On August 22—while his misdemeanor case was still pending—Brown allegedly boarded a light rail train in Charlotte’s South End and stabbed 23-year-old Zarutska in the neck in what appeared to be a completely unprovoked attack. The murder, captured on surveillance footage, has drawn national attention and reignited debates over cashless bail, judicial discretion, and public safety.

The letter to Chief Judge Wiggins invokes North Carolina General Statute § 7A-173(a), which allows for the removal of magistrates for “willful and persistent failure to perform the duties of the office or conduct prejudicial to the administration of justice.” The lawmakers state that Judge Stokes’s conduct meets both criteria and call for a full review of her bond determinations in other cases.

Among the signers of the letter are Reps. Gregory Murphy, Virginia Foxx, Addison McDowell, David Rouzer, Mark Harris, Richard Hudson, Pat Harrigan, Chuck Edwards, and Brad Knott.

Rep. McDowell minced no words in his remarks: “What happened on the light rail in Charlotte is a tragedy that never should have happened. Teresa Stokes has failed the people and must be removed. She’s proven she can’t do the job and has lost the trust of the public.”

Congressman Harris added, “Why would a judge knowingly let a repeat criminal with serious mental issues out on our streets? Pro-crime judges must be held responsible for their failure to carry out the most basic, commonsense duties. We must ensure there are no future Iryna Zarutskas.”

Rep. Rouzer echoed the sentiment, tying the case to broader national concerns: “Magistrate Stokes’ rulings highlight exactly why liberal soft-on-crime policies are failing our communities locally and nationwide. When lenient laws meet lenient judges, public safety takes a back seat. This tragic loss of a life was absolutely preventable.”

As the judicial branch considers how to respond to the congressional request, the case is expected to fuel further debate across North Carolina and beyond over how to balance criminal justice reform with public safety—and who should be held accountable when that balance fails.