Magistrate Judge Teresa Stokes Under Fire After Releasing Decarlos Brown Jr. Months Before He Allegedly Killed Ukrainian Refugee Iryna Zarutska
The murder of Iryna Zarutska has shaken Charlotte and now the focus has shifted toward the decisions that may have allowed it to happen. Zarutska, a 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee who fled her country’s war in hopes of building a safe life in America, was brutally stabbed to death on August 22 while sitting on the city’s light rail train. The attack was sudden, random, and left witnesses horrified. Her accused killer, 34-year-old Decarlos Brown Jr., was arrested shortly after and charged with first-degree murder. Federal prosecutors later added charges of committing an act causing death on a mass transportation system, raising the stakes to possible life in prison or the death penalty.
What makes this case even more devastating is that Brown could have been behind bars months earlier. Court records show that in January 2025 he was released by Magistrate Judge Teresa Stokes on nothing more than a written promise to return to court, despite his long criminal history and a pattern of violent and unstable behavior. He was freed without bond, and less than seven months later Zarutska was dead. The decision has sparked a firestorm, not only in Charlotte but across the country, with questions about how someone with such a record could be let go so easily.
North Carolina Republicans have reacted with fury, demanding that Judge Stokes be removed from the bench. Ten GOP House members signed a letter urging state leaders to act, calling her release of Brown reckless and dangerous. They point to this case as a glaring example of the risks of cashless bail and the failures of a system that too often releases repeat offenders back into the community. For many, the situation feels like a betrayal, where the law protected the rights of a man with a violent past but failed to protect an innocent young woman who came to America in search of safety.
Judge Stokes herself has not spoken publicly, and court officials insist she acted within the guidelines of state law. Still, the anger shows no sign of fading. Charlotte residents are mourning Zarutska while demanding accountability. The city has already stepped up police presence on trains and promised tighter security measures, but for those who knew her, it feels like too little too late.
The story of Iryna Zarutska is now entwined with a broader debate over public safety, judicial discretion, and the limits of leniency. She will be remembered as a young woman who escaped one war only to lose her life in an act of senseless violence. Her death has become a painful reminder that the choices made in courtrooms can have consequences far beyond the walls of a courthouse. As her family grieves and her community demands answers, the case of Judge Teresa Stokes and Decarlos Brown Jr. will likely remain a flashpoint in the conversation about crime, justice, and responsibility.
