North Carolina Governor Josh Stein on Friday signed into law a sweeping criminal justice bill passed by the Republican-led legislature in the wake of the violent death of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska. The legislation, often called “Iryna’s Law,” is the state’s most aggressive response to mounting public pressure for reform of pretrial release policies following the August stabbing of Zarutska aboard a Charlotte commuter train.
Zarutska, 23, was fatally stabbed while seated on the Lynx Blue Line, and the suspected assailant, Decarlos Brown Jr., has a lengthy criminal history. Brown had previously been released without bond on separate charges — a fact lawmakers cited as evidence that the state’s existing pretrial practices were failing to protect public safety.
Under the new law, defendants accused of violent crimes or those with prior felonies will generally no longer be eligible for cashless bail. Judges and magistrates will have reduced discretion in allowing pretrial release, and greater judicial oversight will be imposed: the chief justice will have power to suspend magistrates in certain cases, and more defendants will be required to undergo mental health evaluations.
Among the most controversial provisions are those that revive the state’s capacity to carry out executions. The legislation opens the door to alternative methods if lethal injection is found unavailable or unconstitutional, though Gov. Stein immediately affirmed that he would not permit firing squads under his administration.
Stein, while signing the bill, also expressed serious reservations. He criticized lawmakers for failing to include funding for mental health services, law enforcement pay, and other measures he had proposed. In a video statement, he said the statute “simply does not do enough to keep you safe” and warned that it focused more on defendants’ ability to post bail than on the danger they might pose.
Civil rights advocates and some Democratic legislators voiced opposition, arguing that the law may fall hardest on low-income and marginalized communities by curtailing judicial discretion and increasing pretrial detention. Critics also decried the reintroduction of execution methods as politically driven and lacking in nuance.
In Charlotte, where community members held vigils for Zarutska and demanded safer transit conditions, city and transit authorities said they would review security and policing measures on the light-rail system.
Most provisions of the new law are set to take effect on December 1, 2025, giving courts and agencies time to prepare implementation guidance. Legal challenges to parts of the measure including those involving the death penalty clauses are expected.
With Stein’s signature, the state has enacted what supporters call much-needed corrections to North Carolina’s bail and pretrial systems. Opponents warn that without investments in mental health, crime prevention, and systemic supports, the law may deepen inequalities and fail to address underlying drivers of violence.
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