North Carolina Supreme Court Chief Justice Paul Newby has launched a pretrial release task force in the wake of Iryna Zarutska’s murder. In a press release Newby says the task force will assess current practices and procedures to evaluate whether they adequately balance the need for judicial discretion with the need for consistency in decision making. It will be co-chaired by Associate Supreme Court Justice Phil Berger, Jr. and Senior Resident Superior Court Judge Stuart Albright.
The task force will also include representatives from the Judicial Branch and other relevant stakeholder groups, including law enforcement and victims of crime.
Newby says the group will make recommendations no later than one year from now.