A magistrate judge who lacks legal licensing in North Carolina released a repeat offender on cashless bail months before he allegedly murdered a Ukrainian refugee on a public train, sparking outrage among state lawmakers.
Magistrate Judge Teresa Stokes does not appear as a qualified attorney in North Carolina’s official database of registered lawyers.
When her name is searched in the North Carolina State Bar lawyer look-up tool, an error message appears, indicating she cannot practice law professionally in the state.
The database revelation emerged after Stokes released Decarlos Brown on a written promise to appear in court following his most recent arrest before the fatal stabbing incident.
Brown later allegedly killed 23-year-old Iryna Zarutska in August.
State law does not require magistrate judges in North Carolina to hold law licenses.
Stokes oversees cases in the Charlotte District within Mecklenburg County Court.
Brown was captured on video footage released over the weekend approaching Zarutska from behind while she sat on a train.
The footage shows him stabbing her in the throat before towering over the victim as she sat in apparent shock.
No passengers provided immediate assistance to Zarutska in the moments following the attack, according to the released video evidence.