It was a preventable tragedy.
On Aug. 22, 23-year-old Iryna Zarutska, a Ukrainian refugee who had sought safety in America, was brutally stabbed to death aboard a light rail train in Charlotte, North Carolina. Her killer, Decarlos Brown Jr, had a long history of violence and mental illness. Yet he was released days earlier on a misdemeanor charge. This decision led to the death of an innocent young woman and put anyone who crossed paths with Brown in harm’s way.
Zarutska’s murder should shake us all. She was a daughter, a friend, and a neighbor, and had every right to believe that the laws of the country where she sought refuge would protect her. Instead, our justice system released a dangerous and repeat offender with diagnosed mental illness back onto the streets, and a life was stolen.
Public safety is not just another government responsibility. It is the first duty and the very foundation upon which every other freedom rests. If Americans cannot safely ride the train, walk their children to school, or return home from work without fear, then every other promise of government rings hollow.
At a recent press conference following Zarutska’s murder, North Carolina lawmakers pointed to the state’s 2023 bipartisan “Pretrial Integrity Act.” That law was meant to deliver exactly what its name suggests: integrity in the pretrial process by ensuring judges in our state can assess risk before releasing offenders. Yet complacency left it unenforced, and the consequences have turned deadly.
North Carolina deserves a justice system that works and inspires safety and trust. True justice means judging risk, not wealth, and keeping our communities safe. When courts ignore this duty, they gamble with lives.
North Carolina judges and magistrates should have case-by-case discretion while also being held accountable for their decisions. It’s common sense to hold repeat and violent offenders pretrial, while low-risk, nonviolent individuals should be released safely on personal bonds. Locking up low-level offenders pretrial wastes resources and distracts from the fundamental mission of keeping dangerous criminals off the streets.
President Donald Trump’s recent executive order, “Taking Steps to End Cashless Bail to Protect Americans,” is building momentum nationwide toward smarter pretrial policies, aligning states with the federal system that prioritizes risk and danger over money. Trump’s proven leadership is consistent with the 2018 First Step Act, the most significant criminal justice reform in decades. This legislation ensures fairness while protecting public safety and accounting for low-level offenders.
Other states also offer lessons North Carolina should heed. In 2021, Texas passed the Damon Allen Act, closing a loophole that once allowed violent offenders to walk free on personal recognizance bonds. Named after a state trooper killed by a repeat offender out on bond, the law made clear that high-risk offenders should not receive cashless bail. In November, Texas voters will consider a constitutional amendment that would further empower judges to deny bail to the most dangerous criminals.
Decades ago, the US Supreme Court affirmed in United States v. Salerno that the right to bail is not absolute. The first and most important question in any pretrial decision should be simple: release or not release? The question should be: Is the offender dangerous? Not: How much money can they post?
Unfortunately, too many jurisdictions have chosen the opposite approach, releasing nearly everyone by default under the guise of “equity.” But equity cannot mean excusing violence or ignoring risk. Genuine compassion means protecting the vulnerable from harm, not disregarding danger.
When violent offenders are released without consequence, it does more than endanger public safety, it erodes trust in the justice system and undermines law enforcement. North Carolina’s successful use of alternative crisis response programs across the state proves that practical tools already exist to protect the public, but when judicial discretion and accountability are absent, lives are at stake.
While judges and magistrates in North Carolina are empowered to balance public safety with statutory requirements and constitutional rights, such as the presumption of innocence, it’s time lawmakers avoid any one-size-fits-all policies and uphold judicial accountability. We must reserve pretrial detention for violent and repeat offenders while avoiding needless detention for low-level offenders to ensure the system works as intended and public trust is restored.
The brutal train stabbing that claimed Zarutska’s life underscores the consequences of failing to keep violent and repeat offenders off our streets. Conservatives must lead with resolve, demand accountability, and make clear that nothing takes precedence over the safety of North Carolinians.