NC Republicans demand judge’s removal after murder of Ukrainian refugee

FIRST ON FOX: Republican members of North Carolina’s congressional delegation are calling for the removal of a state judge who released a man now accused of stabbing a Ukrainian refugee to death on a Charlotte train.

All 10 House GOP members from the Tar Heel State signed a letter urging formal proceedings to remove Magistrate Judge Teresa Stokes. They cited her decision earlier this year to release Decarlos Brown “based solely on his ‘written promise’ to appear for a future court date.”

Brown is now charged in the Aug. 22 stabbing of 23-year-old Iryna Zarutska, who fled Ukraine in 2022 after Russia’s invasion.

Republicans argued Stokes ignored Brown’s lengthy record when she freed him without bail.

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Surveillance footage showing the moment before a young Ukrainian woman was stabbed to death in a random attack on the Lynx Blue Line on Friday, Aug. 22, 2025.  (NewsNation via Charlotte Area Transit System)

They argued that the release “was made despite Brown’s extensive criminal history, which included at least 14 prior arrests for serious offenses such as possession of a firearm by a felon, robbery with a dangerous weapon, and physical assault of his sister.”

Brown, who was reportedly diagnosed with schizophrenia, had been charged with a misdemeanor in January after calling 911 and demanding responding officers investigate “man-made” materials inside his body controlling him, according to KATV. 

He called 911 again after being angered by police’s refusal, and was subsequently arrested and charged with a misdemeanor, according to the outlet.

But the homeless man’s case is now the latest example being held up by Republicans of big cities having too lax a justice system in dealing with crime, including on mass transit. 

Iryna Zarutska, a Ukrainian refugee, was killed while riding a train in Charlotte, N.C. on Aug. 22, 2025. (lucaveros225/Instagram; WBTV)

It comes amid broader partisan divisions over the merits of President Donald Trump deploying the national guard to major cities in order to deal with violent crime.

“Ms. Zarutska’s murder was not only a profound personal tragedy but also a direct result of a failure of judicial responsibility. By releasing a repeat violent offender on nothing more than his written promise to appear, Magistrate Stokes displayed a willful failure to perform the duties of her office and engaged in conduct prejudicial to the administration of justice,” the lawmakers, led by Rep. Tim Moore, R-N.C., wrote.

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“Her decision has undermined public confidence in the judicial system and exposed the community to wholly preventable harm.”

Zarutska had fled Ukraine in August 2022 after Russia launched its invasion of the sovereign country. The attack appears to have been unprovoked, as Zarutska had been sitting in front of Brown on a train while on her way home from work, according to local reports.

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“[W]e urge you to commence formal removal proceedings against Magistrate Teresa Stokes. We further request that the Court conduct a thorough review of her prior bond determinations to assess the full extent of misconduct,” the letter said. 

“North Carolinians deserve to know that those entrusted with judicial authority exercise it with diligence, responsibility, and regard for the safety of the community.”

Fox News Digital reached out to the North Carolina Judicial Branch for comment but did not hear back by press time.