Questions are mounting over both the suspect in the Charlotte train stabbing that killed 23-year-old Ukrainian national Iryna Zarutska and the judge who previously allowed him back into the community. The suspect, Decarlos Brown Jr., was released in January by Magistrate Judge Teresa Stokes despite a violent and unstable history. Brown, a diagnosed schizophrenic, had been charged with misuse of the 911 system after claiming “man-made” materials were controlling his actions. Police deemed it a medical emergency but charged him after repeated 911 calls.
Stokes released Brown on a “written promise” to appear in court, despite his extensive criminal record, including 14 prior arrests and convictions for felonies such as armed robbery, breaking and entering, and larceny. The decision has drawn bipartisan concern and widespread public outrage, particularly following Brown’s alleged fatal stabbing of Zarutska on a Charlotte light rail train.
A letter signed by all 10 Republican members of North Carolina’s congressional delegation has called for Stokes’ removal from the bench. Lawmakers accuse her of “willful and persistent failure” to safeguard the public, citing her release of Brown without bond or meaningful conditions. Even Brown’s mother criticized the court’s decision, stating she had previously expelled her son from her home due to his aggressive behavior.
Stokes’ professional qualifications have also come under scrutiny. She reportedly attended Cooley Law School, which Politico once labeled the “worst law school in America,” and there is no public record confirming she passed the North Carolina bar exam. It’s possible she was admitted under the state’s Admission on Motion program, though officials have not confirmed.
Her prior experience appears to stem largely from roles in social services. According to public profiles, Stokes co-owns Pinnacle Recovery Services and a “sober sports bar” called Wing Heaven Sports Haven. These credentials, while legally sufficient under North Carolina’s low eligibility standards for magistrate judges, have sparked debate about the adequacy of qualifications for officials in positions of judicial authority.
