North Carolina Senate Advances Criminal Justice Bill Tightening Bail, Reviving Death Penalty

North Carolina Republican legislators are advancing a bill aimed at toughening bail rules, restricting magistrates' powers, and increasing mental health evaluations for offenders following the fatal stabbing of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska on a Charlotte commuter train. The legislation, which passed the Senate with a party-line vote and is expected to move swiftly through the House, includes provisions to require cash bonds for violent offenses and repeat offenders, and allocates funds for additional prosecutors in Mecklenburg County. The bill also contains an amendment that could allow the state to use execution methods other than lethal injection, potentially reviving the death penalty, which North Carolina has not carried out since 2006. Republicans, including President Donald Trump, blame local and Democratic officials for soft-on-crime policies that allegedly contributed to the suspect's release prior to the attack. Democrats have highlighted historic underfunding of mental health services as a factor exacerbating public safety issues and caution that funding prosecutors alone without supporting court clerks and public defenders may slow the justice system. The legislative push reflects a broader political strategy by Republicans to address crime concerns and respond to public outrage over Zarutska's death.