Following Charlotte murder, NC chief justice directs review of release practices
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Chief Justice Newby launched a task force to review North Carolina's pretrial release system.
- Pressure mounted after DeCarlos Brown Jr. was released pretrial before a murder charge.
- Lawmakers plan legislation to expand secured bonds and possibly reinstate the death penalty.
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Charlotte light rail train stabbing
A 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee, Iryna Zarutska, was fatally stabbed on Aug. 22 on the light rail line in Charlotte’s South End. 34-year-old DeCarlos Brown Jr., who has a reported history of mental health issues, is charged in the killing. Zarutska’s death has received national attention, with public comments from President Donald Trump, Elon Musk, and Charlotte officials.
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North Carolina Supreme Court Chief Justice Paul Newby announced on Thursday the formation of a task force charged with reviewing the state’s pretrial release practices in the wake of Iryna Zarutska’s August murder in Charlotte.
In his order creating the task force, Newby, a Republican, said that “disturbing recent events” called for a comprehensive review of how the court system handles criminal defendants before they go to trial.
“In administering justice, public safety is of the utmost concern,” Newby said. “When our citizens feel safe, they thrive physically, relationally, economically, and spiritually. It is my priority to ensure that we, as a judicial branch, execute our responsibilities well and strive continuously to improve our efforts to administer justice.”
The group will be chaired by Justice Phil Berger Jr., a Republican, and Superior Court Judge R. Stuart Albright, a Democrat.
The announcement comes after criticism of the court system for releasing Zarutska’s suspected killer, DeCarlos Brown Jr. on an unrelated charge prior to the murder.
State lawmakers (as well as President Donald Trump) lambasted the decision, pointing to Brown’s prior convictions for armed robbery, breaking and entering and larceny and saying he should not have been released on a written promise to appear.
“If that had happened here, then most likely the victim in Charlotte would still be alive today,” House Speaker Destin Hall said in a press conference last week.
Hall and Senate leader Phil Berger (the father of Justice Berger Jr.) said they would introduce legislation to restart the death penalty and require secured bonds instead of cashless bail in more circumstances.
Trump has also targeted cashless bail, saying he would withhold federal funds from jurisdictions that practice the policy.
North Carolina has a cash bail system, The News & Observer reported, but some defendants are eligible for pretrial release without paying anything.
In Brown’s case, he was released on a written promise to appear in court after being charged with a misdemeanor for misusing 911 in January.
The Charlotte Observer reported that the judge’s decision complied with state law and Mecklenburg County’s bail policy — which affirm that it is routine to release defendants on nonviolent misdemeanor charges.
However, Newby’s task force, alongside any legislation from the General Assembly, could change those practices going forward.
This story was originally published September 19, 2025 at 1:51 PM with the headline "Following Charlotte murder, NC chief justice directs review of release practices."
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