A Victory for Public Safety and Common Sense
On December 1, 2025, North Carolina officially shut down the dangerous experiment known as cashless bail. With the stroke of a pen, Governor Josh Stein signed “Iryna’s Law,” ending the practice of letting violent and repeat offenders walk free on a simple promise to show up in court later.
This reform was born out of tragedy. In August 2025, 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska was riding the light-rail train in Charlotte when she was randomly stabbed to death in broad daylight. Her alleged killer? A man with a long rap sheet who had been released just months earlier on a written promise to appear after yet another arrest. No money posted. No GPS monitor. No real consequences. Just another catch-and-release cycle that ended with an innocent young woman murdered in a horrific, preventable attack.
Enough was enough.
“Iryna’s Law” eliminates written promises to appear, requires secured bonds or strict monitoring for violent crimes, and forces judges to put their reasoning in writing when they release dangerous defendants. It also adds mental-health screenings and accountability for magistrates who repeatedly put the public at risk.
The results speak for themselves: violent criminals will no longer be free to re-offend while awaiting trial. Communities—especially in high-crime areas like Charlotte—will finally get the protection they’ve been begging for. A recent Carolina Journal poll found that nearly three out of four North Carolinians support holding judges accountable when their lenient decisions result in more victims.
This isn’t about punishing poverty; it’s about punishing predators. Low-risk, non-violent defendants still have reasonable paths to pretrial release. But if you’re charged with a violent felony or you keep cycling through the system, society has a right—and now a legal duty—to keep you off the streets until your day in court.
Iryna Zarutska came to America seeking safety and a new life. She never got the chance to live it. Thanks to the courage of North Carolina lawmakers in passing this law, fewer families will have to endure the pain she now carries forever.
Rest in peace, Iryna. Your death was not in vain. North Carolina just became a safer place because of you.