(The Center Square) – One week later, Iryna’s Law with overwhelming bipartisan support remains without activity on the desk of North Carolina first-term Democratic Gov. Josh Stein.
The legislation, passed 28-8 in the Senate and 81-31 in the House of Representatives, removes judicial hurdles that have led to an unwritten moratorium on the death penalty for two decades. It also stops cashless bail for some charges; removes broad discretion of magistrates; and makes it more difficult for repeat offenders to get out of jail.
There is a new category of “violent offenses” that require certain conditions for pretrial release, inclusive of GPS monitoring.
Stein was presented House Bill 307 on Tuesday of last week, known as Day 0 in the process where he has 10 days to sign, veto or allow to become law without his signature. Friday is the 10th day.
While no Democratic senators were for the bill, 11 opted for an excused absence and another took an excused vote. In the House, 17 Democrats favored the bill.
The death penalty is not prohibited in North Carolina, though it was last used on Aug. 18, 2006. Samuel Flippen was executed by lethal injection following his conviction for murder of his stepdaughter. The unwritten moratorium has existed because of litigation on fairness and methods.
Iryna Zarutska, 23, was killed while aboard the Lynx Blue Line light rail train about 10 p.m. Aug. 22 alongside Camden Road near the East/West station, according to the Charlotte Area Transit System video. Decarlos Brown Jr., arrested a 15th time in as many years, is charged with first-degree murder on the state level and charged on the federal level with committing an act causing death on a mass transportation system.
While in the local news immediately, the story went viral when video was released by Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police from cameras aboard the train.
