North Carolina Governor Signs ‘Iryna’s Law,’ Ending Cashless Bail for Violent Offenders and Reviving Death Penalty Appeals After Charlotte Stabbing

CHARLOTTE, NC – North Carolina Governor Josh Stein has signed a sweeping criminal justice bill known as “Iryna’s Law” — legislation inspired by the shocking fatal light rail stabbing of 23-year-old Iryna Zarutska in Charlotte. The bill will end cashless bail for certain violent offenders and speed up death penalty appeals, a move that could restart executions in the state for the first time since 2006.

A Bill Sparked by Tragedy

Lawmakers pushed for the bill after Zarutska, a Ukrainian immigrant, was randomly stabbed to death on Aug. 22 while riding a light rail train in Charlotte’s South End.

The suspect, Decarlos Brown, had a long criminal history in Mecklenburg County — a fact that drew widespread outrage over bail reform policies and perceived gaps in local public safety.

“It’s time to get real about the causes of violence and to take meaningful action,” Stein said Friday. “Everyone deserves to be safe — at home, on their way to work, in restaurants, or at school. This law is about protecting those basic rights.”

Key Provisions in ‘Iryna’s Law’

The bill, officially House Bill 307, introduces sweeping reforms across North Carolina’s justice system, including:

• Ending cashless bail for violent offenders, requiring judges to evaluate whether suspects pose a threat before release.
• Expediting death penalty appeals, requiring courts to hear such cases within two years of filing — a dramatic change from the current decades-long backlog.
• Tightening judicial discretion by mandating extra review for defendants deemed “an unusual risk of violence.”

The state currently has 122 inmates on death row, and this bill could accelerate their pending appeals.

Stein’s Pushback on Firing Squad Amendment

While Stein praised the bill’s public safety goals, he strongly objected to a last-minute amendment allowing execution by firing squad in North Carolina.

“That’s barbaric,” Stein said bluntly. “There will be no firing squads in North Carolina during my time as governor.”

Stein emphasized that while the legislation improves how courts handle dangerous suspects, it must not devolve into “political theater.”

Political Division and Public Safety Debate

Republican leaders in the General Assembly backed the bill as a direct response to the Charlotte stabbing and other recent violent incidents, arguing it restores accountability and judicial power.

However, Stein — a Democrat — accused lawmakers of lacking “vision” and urged them to go further by investing in violence prevention programs, expanding mental health treatment, and keeping guns out of the hands of “dangerously mentally ill” individuals.

Statewide Impact

The bill marks the first significant step toward reviving North Carolina’s death penalty system in nearly two decades. The last execution took place in 2006, before a court moratorium froze capital punishment appeals.

Stein’s office said the reforms were about ensuring public confidence in the justice system — especially after a series of high-profile violent crimes in Charlotte and Southport this year.

Do you think North Carolina’s revival of death penalty appeals will make the state safer, or does it risk taking the justice system backward? Share your opinion now on FatCityFeed.com.