Ten Republican members of North Carolina’s congressional delegation are demanding the removal of a judge who freed without bond a man who had a long rap sheet and a history of mental illness who is now accused of the stabbing death of a young Ukrainian refugee on a Charlotte light rail train.

The group sent a letter to Chief Judge Roy H. Wiggins of Judicial District 26 on Tuesday asking him to start the removal process regarding Magistrate Teresa Stokes for “willful and persistent failure to perform the duties of the office” and “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,” Congressman Tim Moore states on behalf of the letter’s signees.

A LinkedIn profile of Ms. Stokes, which has now been taken down, shows she’s involved in the restorative justice movement that supports treatment and support as an alternative to incarceration in some cases. In addition to her part-time role as a magistrate judge, she also is director of Second Chance Services, a mental health addiction clinic in Charlotte.

Brown was sentenced to five years in prison in 2014 for armed robbery and was released in 2020.

He was charged with a Class 1 misdemeanor in January after allegedly making a 911 call to complain that someone had given him a “man-made material” controlling his actions. He then allegedly became combative with police officers who responded to the scene.

“Despite this history of violent and unstable behavior, Magistrate Stokes released Brown without requiring bond or imposing any meaningful conditions to safeguard the public,” the letter states.

Brown’s mother says he has schizophrenia and should not have been released after that arrest. In July, another judge ordered a mental evaluation for Brown after a public defender questioned his mental capacity to stand trial, but it was never completed and Brown remained free.

Last month, Brown allegedly sat behind Iryna Zarutska — who had fled war-torn Ukraine in 2022 in search of safety — on a train as she was returning home from work. Video showed the 23-year-old woman being stabbed multiple times in the back of the neck in an unprovoked attack.

“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 letter stated.

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

President Trump has seized on crime in Democrat-run cities as a policy matter. He has sent the National Guard to Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., and is threatening Chicago as his next target. Supporters of Mr. Trump have amplified posts about violence in Democratic cities in social media posts.

Magistrate Stokes has remanded Brown to remain behind bars without bail in the murder of Zarutska.