The North Carolina GOP contingent has banded together to continue furiously demanding, despite intransigence from the state judicial apparatus, that Magistrate Judge Teresa Stokes be removed from the bench. As a reminder, Judge Stokes is the judge who let Decarlos Brown, the felon who had already been released 13 times, out of jail for the fourteenth time just months before he slew Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska.
Their effort to get Judge Stokes removed began with a letter announced on X by Congressman Tim Moore (R-NC), who said, “Today, I led a letter calling for the removal of Magistrate Judge Teresa Stokes, who released a 14-time offender who went on to murder Iryna Zarutska in Charlotte. This tragedy was preventable. There must be accountability. North Carolinians deserve better.”
They began the letter, which was written to the Chief Judge in the district, by saying, “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.”
Continuing, they noted that the judge here had clearly shown she should be removed, writing, “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.”
The Chief District Court Judge, Roy Wiggins, responded in a mealy-mouthed letter that meant little. He began, Thank you for your letter dated September 9, 2025, regarding the tragic circumstances of the murder of Iryna Zarutska. Your concern and active interest in this matter is greatly appreciated and respected. I, along with everyone in the court system, remain saddened by the death of Ms. Zarutska and shocked by this heinous crime.”
He then rambled about reviewing the matter, saying, “In response to this crime, I am reviewing our local bond policy and evaluating all aspects to ensure that the procedures were properly followed. Furthermore, I, along with other leaders in our system, intend to continue to educate our magistrates on the impact of their decisions regarding pretrial conditions of release as set out in NCGS 15A-535. We want to ensure that our magistrates comprehensively review each case and individual defendants to determine the potential danger to the community, while staying in compliance with statutory and constitutional guidelines and mandates.”
Rep. Mark Harris (R-NC), one of the signatories of the initial letter, exploded on X. Posting a screenshot of Wiggins’s letter, he snapped, “The entire NC Republican delegation called for the removal of Magistrate Judge Teresa Stokes for letting Iryna Zarutska’s murderer out on the streets. Her lenient interpretation of the pretrial release statutes calls into question her fitness for service.”
"*" indicates required fields
He added, hammering the District Court for its insouciance and questioning whether Stokes is continuing to put North Carolinians at risk, “The District Court says they are ‘reviewing’ and ‘evaluating’ policies and procedures. But is Stokes still making judgments for other criminals even though she has lost the public’s confidence?”
Featured image credit: police mugshot