In response to the fatal stabbing of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska by Decarlos Brown Jr. on a North Carolina train, Republican Rep. Randy Fine has announced plans to introduce legislation targeting judges who release repeat offenders. The bill aims to hold judicial officials accountable if violent criminals they free go on to commit further crimes.
Fine highlighted the case of Brown, a homeless ex-convict with over a dozen arrests dating back to 2014, including a 2014 armed robbery conviction that led to a five-year sentence. Despite his criminal history, Brown was released in September 2020 and later arrested again for assaulting his sister in Charlotte. He was free when he allegedly murdered Zarutska, a young Ukrainian woman.
“The 12+ judges who released Decarlos Brown Jr. should have their day in court too,” Fine stated. He criticized the judicial system’s perceived lack of accountability, noting that judges are protected by armed bailiffs while ordinary citizens face risks. “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.”
The legislation seeks to impose consequences on judges who repeatedly release violent offenders, with Fine asserting that such measures could have prevented Zarutska’s death. He emphasized that the current system enables “weak judges” to “unleash violent criminals back onto our streets,” calling for judicial accountability in cases involving repeat offenders.
The proposal has drawn support from critics of the judiciary’s handling of criminal cases, with some arguing that judges sharing responsibility for releasing dangerous individuals should face legal repercussions.