The North Carolina state judge who released a man accused of stabbing a 23-year-old woman on a Charlotte train is under intense scrutiny after it was revealed that she does not hold a law degree and did not attend law school.
Magistrate Judge Teresa Stokes lack of experience and alleged poor judgement is being held out by critics as an example of a flawed justice system that has allowed repeat offenders like Decarlos Brown Jr, the 34-year-old alleged perpetrator of the Charlotte stabbing, to walk free.
Brown’s record includes at least 14 arrests in the state of North Carolina, including a robbery conviction and an assault on his sister. Despite his extensive rap sheet, he was released without bail after being accused of filing a false 911 report. Shortly after his arrest, he allegedly carried out a gruesome murder in Charlotte that has drawn national attention and outrage.
North Carolina Republicans are now calling for Stokes’ ouster for what they call a ‘direct result of a failure of judicial responsibility.’
Stokes’ lack of experience and formal education may not be an anomaly, however, as 32 states currently allow judges to sit on the bench without a law degree.
Representative Tim Moore, R-Nc. is one of numerous high-profile politicians calling for Stokes’ removal, going so far as to call her ‘unfit’ for the position due to her lack of experience and poor judgement.
“North Carolina’s justice system failed Iryna Zarutska. She came to Charlotte looking for safety and a better life, but instead, she was brutally murdered by a repeat offender who never should’ve been let back on the streets,” said Congressman Moore in a press release. “Judge Stokes had the chance to protect the public and chose not to. It’s clear that she’s unfit to hold this consequential position and should be removed from the bench immediately.”
