All 10 Republican members of North Carolina’s congressional delegation are calling for the removal of Magistrate Judge Teresa Stokes after she released repeat offender Decarlos Brown, now charged with fatally stabbing 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska on a Charlotte light rail train. Lawmakers criticized Stokes for ignoring Brown’s extensive criminal history and releasing him on a written promise to appear in court.
Brown, previously diagnosed with schizophrenia and arrested multiple times, remains in custody facing murder and weapons charges. Republicans say the judge’s leniency directly endangered the community, sparking outrage and memorials for Zarutska, whose family fled Ukraine in 2022 seeking safety.
