North Carolina may limit cashless bail and revive death penalty
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A crime bill that will limit North Carolina's ability to offer cashless bail and revive the death penalty is moving swiftly through the legislature, passing the Senate 28-8 on Monday, less than 24 hours after being unveiled.
Why it matters: State leaders feel pressured to act after the fatal stabbing of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutsksa, 23, on the Charlotte light rail.
- They've dubbed the legislation "Iryna's Law."
The big picture: House and Senate leaders blame local officials for letting the suspected killer out of jail this summer on a written promise to appear, despite his lengthy criminal history and spiraling mental health.
- Republicans, who have controlled the General Assembly since 2011, are using the case to label Democrats as "weak on crime," a strategy also embraced by President Donald Trump.
- Democrats say they've been repeatedly stymied in attempts to secure funding for mental health care. Specifically, Senate Democrats pointed to the 2015 state budget, "which cut $110 million in state funding for regional mental health centers."
Zoom in: The new crime legislation largely focuses on limiting cashless bail.
- Some defendants would have to undergo mental health examinations before being released from jail to determine if an involuntary commitment is needed.
- Cash bonds would be required for anyone charged with a violent offense. They'd also be required for all repeat offenders (three convictions in 10 years).
- And over $1.6 million would be set aside for 10 new prosecutors in Mecklenburg County.
What they're saying: Sen. Danny Britt, R-Robeson, said those provisions would have helped in the Charlotte case.
- The suspect was a repeat offender, but his most recent charges were low-level misdemeanors, so he "would not necessarily have been someone that would otherwise be on a secure bond."
- Jake Sussman, an attorney with the nonprofit Southern Coalition for Social Justice, said the "very obvious consequence" of those provisions is that "people who are too poor to pay for their pre-trial freedom are going to end up pleading guilty to charges."
State of play: Bipartisan support evaporated after a late-afternoon amendment to introduce new methods of execution.
- State officials would be ordered to select a new execution method, since lethal injection has been held up in the courts, preventing executions since 2006. Options could be firing squad or electric chair.
- The bill already made it easier to seek capital punishment in cases where the victim was using public transit, like Zarutska was.
Yes, but: The bill doesn't allocate any money toward mental health care.
- It instead starts a study on "mental health and the justice system" with preliminary findings due in April.
- "This is going to fill our jails and prisons and fill people's records with convictions, and I don't think any of that is going to scratch at the surface of making North Carolina safer," Sussman said.
Between the lines: Gov. Josh Stein hasn't said whether he supports the new legislation.
- Stein is reviewing the bill, a spokesperson said Monday, adding that he "will always do everything in his power to keep people safe."
The intrigue: Even though House and Senate leadership agree on the need for a crime crackdown, a tense budget debate is still simmering in the background.
What's next: The House will also take up the bill this week, with votes beginning Wednesday at 1pm.