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North Carolina Republicans DEMAND Removal of Judge Who Released Decarlos Brown Jr.


In response to the horrific train stabbing that happened in their state, House Republicans from North Carolina are seeking the removal of the judge who let the murder suspect Decarlos Brown Jr. out on the streets.

As we previously reported, federal magistrate Judge Teresa Stokes released 14-time criminal Decarlos Brown Jr — in spite of his long record, violent tendencies, and schizophrenia — just months before he would go on to brutally stab Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska to death.

Full scoop on that here:

Here’s the Infuriating Reason Why a Judge Allowed Deranged Career Criminal Decarlos Brown Jr. to Walk Free

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Now, North Carolina Republicans have penned a letter demanding that Judge Stokes, who is largely responsible for the sickening tragedy, to be fired.

Rep. Tim Moore shared the letter:

You can read the full letter here:

In case that print is too small to read, here's the full text of the letter:

Dear Chief Judge Wiggins,

We are writing to urge that you initiate proceedings under North Carolina General Statute § 7A-173(a) for the removal of Magistrate Teresa Stokes from office. That statute provides for the
removal of a magistrate for willful and persistent failure to perform the duties of the office or conduct prejudicial to the administration of justice that brings the judicial office into disrepute.

Magistrate Stokes’s actions in the case of Decarlos Brown, Jr. clearly meet both of these grounds for removal. In January 2025, Magistrate Stokes authorized the release of Brown based solely on
his “written promise” to appear for a future court date. This decision 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. In 2014, he was sentenced to five years in prison for robbery with a dangerous firearm.
The January charge, a Class 1 misdemeanor, arose after Brown became combative with police
officers. Yet despite this history of violent and unstable behavior, Magistrate Stokes released Brown without requiring bond or imposing any meaningful conditions to safeguard the public.

This reckless decision had devastating consequences. On August 22, 2025, while his misdemeanor case was still pending, Brown boarded a Charlotte light rail train and fatally stabbed 23-year-old Iryna Zarutska in the neck as she was returning home from work. 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, as set forth in N.C.G.S. § 7A-173(a). Her decision has undermined public confidence in the judicial system and exposed
the community to wholly preventable harm.

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

All ten North Carolina House Republicans signed off on it:

This is a good step in the right direction.

Judge Stokes should be removed from the bench.

But, it shouldn't stop there.

All judges who let violent criminals like Decarlos Brown Jr. back out onto the streets need to be held accountable.

They have blood on their hands.

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