How Optics Shape Criminal Legislation: The Case of Iryna’s Law

North Carolinian Republican legislators’ House Bill 307 was recently ratified, named after the late Iryna Zarutska, a Ukrainian woman who was murdered by a homeless male with an array of convictions. This law is meant to reform the state’s current court system which includes strengthening pretrial and sentencing measures, removing the cashless bail option, allocating funds for more assistant district attorneys in Mecklenburg County, and ordering the expansion of research between mental health and the criminal justice system (Bill Summary for H 307, 2025). Though this bill had been in the works since early March, the bill advanced through both the Senate and House of Representatives in response to the murder of Zarutska. There have been concerns about the bill’s aim to bring back capital punishment in North Carolina after a two decade pause (“Iryna’s Law” Passes in North Carolina, 2025). Emotionally charged cases such as this one, along with the public’s perception of a case and the media’s portrayal of it can shape lawmakers’ swift response in order to further their own agenda.

Media Response and the Public Outrage to the Death of Iryna Zarutska

Zarutska was a Ukrainian refugee who fled to the United States and was ultimately,  randomly stabbed on a Charlotte train by a homeless man, Decarlos Brown Jr., who had a history of mental illness and arrests for crimes such as robbery with a dangerous weapon. This has sparked a conversation throughout the country, with even Brown’s family chiming in it blaming the judicial system for releasing Brown, regardless of his multiple convictions (Wolfe et al, 2025). President Trump and his party have blamed Democrats’ criminal justice policies for the horrific crime to justify their use of the National Guard in major cities (Ax, 2025). Along with the Republican Party, many media sites have framed this case as being a prime example of a weak legal system that is too soft on crime. 

The Legislative Race to Respond to the Outcries

The Republican Party has been known for its punitive stance on crime, and this case became its new political talking point. The weeks following Zarutska’s death, NC Republicans rushed to add amendments to advance this legislation, now fueled by the narrative that the state’s legal system had failed both Zarutska and Brown. North Carolina’s Former Democratic Roy Cooper pushed back against the rhetoric the Republicans were spreading, pointing to the cuts to funding for law enforcement they advocated for. Current NC Democratic Governor Josh Stein also fought against Republican framing and is looking to prevent further cases like Zarutska’s by increasing the state’s budget for more police officers (Cunningham & Sandman, 2025). This now politicized case shows how tragedies can be quickly turned into a battle between left and right, with both fighting to present themselves to the public as the ones who fight against crime. Although some of Iryna’s Law has been controversial, including the amendment that would force the state to find an alternative form of enforcing the death penalty if lethal injection can not be administered, many are optimistic about the new procedures surrounding mental health (“Iryna’s Law” Passes in North Carolina, 2025). The bill’s mental health and involuntary commitment evaluations, in certain cases to hopefully prevent someone like Brown with a behavioral history from harming another innocent victim.

Public’s Perceptual Role in Shaping the Future of the Criminal Justice System

Iryna’s Law is a stark example of how emotion and public narrative can shape legal system reform. While the law emphasizes accountability and safety, it also highlights how politics and optics can influence legislation. Public reaction played a large role in the advancement of this bill on and off the floors, leading to its ratification and calls for similar national reform. Lawmakers across the country will face the challenge of falling to public demand and creating policies grounded in long-term justice for all. 

References

Bill Summary for H 307 (2025-2026) | Legislative Reporting Service. (2025). Unc.edu. https://lrs.sog.unc.edu/billsum/h-307-2025-2026-2

“Iryna’s Law” passes in North Carolina after refugee’s killing, a bill that could restart executions in state. (2025, September 24). Cbsnews.com. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/north-carolina-irynas-law-ukraine-refugee-stabbing-death/

Wolfe, E., Winter, J., & Dam, T. (2025, September 9). How the lives of a Ukrainian refugee and a Charlotte man with a criminal history converged in a fatal stabbing. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2025/09/09/us/charlotte-train-stabbing-ukrainian-victim

Ax, J. (2025, September 8). Trump cites Ukrainian woman’s murder in push for broad crime crackdown. Reuters. https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-cites-ukrainian-womans-murder-push-broad-crime-crackdown-2025-09-08/

Cunningham, T., & Sandman, G. (2025, September 12). North Carolina Republicans blame Democrats for “woke” policies they say contributed to Charlotte light-rail stabbing. ABC News. https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/north-carolina-republicans-blame-democrats-woke-policies-contributed/story?id=125480126

Photo from: CBS "Iryna's Law" passes in North Carolina after refugee's killing, a bill that could restart executions in state