Rep. Randy Fine (R-FL) is preparing legislation that would hold judges accountable for releasing violent repeat offenders, a move prompted by the fatal stabbing of a Ukrainian refugee on a Charlotte light rail train.
The case has drawn national attention after a video surfaced showing the 23-year-old woman being attacked on board, unprompted. The suspect, 34-year-old Decarlos Brown, was arrested after the stabbing and charged with first-degree murder. Court records show Brown has a lengthy criminal history, including convictions for armed robbery, felony larceny, and breaking and entering.
Fine argued that the more than a dozen judges who previously released Brown should also be held accountable, saying they “deserve their day in court.” He said he would introduce legislation to tackle the issue.
“It’s easy to release criminals when you’re protected by an armed bailiff at all times. The rest of us aren’t so lucky,” Fine said in a post on X. His office did not provide any additional details on the legislation, but indicated it was still in the works.
I’m going to introduce legislation to hold judges accountable when violent repeat offenders they release commit new crimes.
— Congressman Randy Fine (@RepFine) September 7, 2025
It’s easy to release criminals when you’re protected by an armed bailiff at all times. The rest of us aren’t so lucky.
Those 12+ judges that released…
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) cited Fine’s post and offered to co-sponsor the bill, writing, “these incompetent judges must be held accountable” on X. The case has quickly become central to the Trump administration’s vow to target rising crime in big cities led by Democrats.
“This monster on the right is who the pro-crime Democrats want sitting next to you and your family on public transportation,” Fine wrote.
The stabbing attack happened on Aug. 22 but caught national attention after the Charlotte Area Transit System published the surveillance video over the weekend. Iryna Zarutska, a Ukrainian refugee, was the victim of the attack as she sat on the train. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
Her murder has become a rallying point for Republicans, with President Donald Trump seizing on the case as part of his vow to crack down on crime in large, Democratic-led cities. On Monday, he offered condolences to Zarutska’s family and pledged to confront what he called “evil people” in society.
WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT FATAL STABBING OF UKRAINIAN REFUGEE ON CHARLOTTE’S LIGHT RAIL
“A lunatic just got up and started — it’s right on the tape, not really watchable, because it’s so horrible — but just viciously stabs her. She’s just sitting there,” Trump said. “So they’re evil people. We have to be able to handle that. If we don’t handle that, we don’t have a country.”
Fine’s proposal, still in development, is expected to raise debate over judicial independence and whether lawmakers can or should directly penalize judges for their rulings.
