Iryna’s Law Passed Heads to North Carolina's Governor's Desk

On September 23, 2025, the North Carolina House of Representatives passed "Iryna's Law" (House Bill 307), sending the criminal justice reform bill to Governor Josh Stein's desk. The bill was passed one month after Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska was killed in a high-profile stabbing on a Charlotte light-rail train. 

Key provisions of Iryna's Law

Stricter pretrial release rules: The bill tightens regulations for defendants charged with violent offenses or those with extensive criminal histories and creates a "rebuttable presumption" against their release without conditions.

Mandatory secured bonds for violent offenses: Pretrial release for a first violent offense must include a secured bond or house arrest with GPS monitoring, while a second or subsequent offense requires mandatory house arrest with electronic monitoring if available.

End of "written promise to appear" for misdemeanors: The bill eliminates this release option for magistrates, a practice that drew scrutiny after Zarutska's alleged killer was released this way for a prior misdemeanor.

Mental health evaluations: Judicial officials must order mental health evaluations for potential involuntary commitment if a defendant charged with a violent offense has a recent history of involuntary commitment or is believed to pose a danger.

Death penalty provisions: The legislation includes a measure that could restart executions in North Carolina by directing the state to find alternative execution methods if lethal injection drugs are unavailable. 

Aftermath and what's next

Sent to the governor: The bill now goes to Governor Josh Stein. While Stein supports some pretrial reforms, his stance on the full bill is unclear.

Potential for veto override: The bill passed the House with a veto-proof majority, making it likely to become law even if the governor vetoes it.

Concerns about mental health resources: Critics argue the bill focuses on punishment over underlying issues like mental illness and question if the state's mental health system can handle the new evaluation requirements. 

Cedar's Take

This is a big step in the right direction. For far too long we have watched liberal judges and politicians release violent felons back into civil society only to be arrested again and again.

To those who worry that this harder stance on pre trial release will over burden the courts, nothing could be further from the truth. What overburdens the courts are the same criminals being arrested over and over again. 

Too often a simple traffic stop becomes a bigger event needlessly because the perps know they can become violent and resist and there are never any repercussions. 

Resisting arrest needs to be added to those violent crimes that require a cash bond.

If a perp is arrested a second time they should not be even considered for release until there is a final disposition on the prior arrest. Too often we have arrestees who plie on arrest after arrest with never any consequences. 

Iryna’s Law makes common sense normal again. But this is only the start.