The North Carolina House of Representatives has approved a bill named after murdered Ukrainian woman Irina Zarutskaya.
Bill 307 proposes a large-scale reform of the criminal justice system. The impetus for this reform was the murder of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutskaya in late August. This bill has already been called "one of the most stringent anti-crime reforms," the publication writes. The Carolina Journal.
On September 23, "Irina's Law," as the bill was known, was sent to North Carolina Governor Josh Stein after the North Carolina House of Representatives approved it by a vote of 81-31. The House vote came just one day after the bill quickly moved through Senate committees and, after extensive debate, was approved on the Senate floor by a 28-8 vote.
"For too long, activist-minded judges and magistrates have let dangerous criminals go free, putting lives at risk and creating chaos in our communities," said House Speaker Destin Hall, a Republican from Caldwell. "This has to stop. The murder of Irina Zarutskaya is a tragic reminder of what's at stake. That's why we're enacting one of the most robust anti-crime reforms in North Carolina history."
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House Bill 307 tightens pretrial release conditions for those accused of violent crimes, eliminates bail, establishes new procedures for ordering psychiatric evaluations in the criminal justice system, and imposes stricter deadlines for appeals in death penalty cases.
"We're sending a clear message: North Carolina will not allow violent criminals to roam our streets freely," said House Majority Leader Brenden Jones, a Republican from Columbus. "Irina's Law strengthens citizen protections and returns accountability to our courts, because the safety of our families and communities comes first."
The bill eliminates release without bail for certain crimes, limits judges' discretion when deciding pretrial release, and creates a new category of defendants who require GPS electronic monitoring, house arrest, or secured bail.
Additionally, it mandates psychiatric evaluations in certain cases, shortens the timeframe for appeals in death penalty cases, and adds committing a particularly serious crime on public transportation to the list of aggravating circumstances that can make a defendant eligible for the death penalty. Republican leaders claim these changes are intended to prevent violent offenders and repeat offenders from going free and to increase the accountability of magistrates for release decisions.
"No family should have to endure what Irina's family did," said Republican Rep. Trisha Cotham of Mecklenburg County. "The people of Mecklenburg County and all of North Carolina should not have to fear for their safety. Irina's Law will prevent violent criminals from going free and ensure that those who threaten our community face real consequences."
In addition, the bill establishes a new procedure under which a judicial official is obliged to order a psychiatric examination if:
— the accused is charged with a violent crime and has been involuntarily hospitalized within the last three years;
— the accused is held accountable for any crime, and the judicial officer has reason to believe the accused is a danger to themselves or others. The judicial officer is required to order an expert examination to determine the need for involuntary hospitalization. If the expert concludes that the accused requires hospitalization, procedures for involuntary placement in a special facility must be initiated.
"Irina's Law is not just about punishment, it's about prevention," explained Rep. Sarah Stevens of Surry County. "By mandating mental health evaluations and strengthening pretrial release conditions for violent offenders, we are taking decisive steps to prevent tragedies."
House Bill 307 changes procedures related to death penalty cases. According to a press release from Speaker Destin Hall's office, the law establishes deadlines for pending appeals and motions: any motion filed more than 24 months ago must be scheduled for a hearing by December 2026, with the hearing held no later than December 2027. It requires that death penalty hearings be held in the county of the original sentencing.
"This bill is about restoring common sense and protecting innocent lives," concluded Republican Rep. Brian Echevarria of Caberrus County.
The bill classifies the commission of a particularly serious crime on public transportation as an aggravating circumstance in death penalty cases. This provision guarantees that prosecutors will be able to request—and courts will be able to impose—the death penalty in cases like Irina's murder.
"Irene's Law establishes reasonable limits on pretrial release, ensures that violent offenders do not go free with impunity, and protects our neighbors, our children, and our communities," said Union County Republican David Willis.
In addition, the bill clarifies that a judicial officer is required to review and consider the defendant's criminal history before setting conditions for pretrial release.
In addition, the judicial officer is required to provide written reasons for the decision regarding the conditions of release in each case. Failure by the judge or magistrate to comply with these requirements will be grounds for their removal.
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The bill, among other things, empowers the chief justice of the state Supreme Court or the chief judge of a district court to initiate proceedings to remove a magistrate. Finally, it authorizes the North Carolina Collaboratory (a research center at the University of North Carolina that conducts interdisciplinary research and data analysis on issues of interest to the state) to Note.) examine the interactions between mental health and the state's justice system for both adults and juveniles, consider the availability of house arrest as a pretrial release condition, and evaluate alternative methods of execution beyond those already permitted in the state.
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