\n Gov. Josh Stein said he signed the bill because it \u201calerts the judiciary to take a special look at people who may pose unusual risks of violence before determining their bail. That\u2019s a good thing.\u201d\n <\/p>\n
\n The new law bars cashless bail for certain violent crimes and for many repeat offenders. It also limits the discretion magistrates and judges have in making pretrial release decisions, gives the state chief justice the ability to suspend magistrates and seeks to ensure more defendants undergo mental health evaluations.\n <\/p>\n
\n But Stein criticized parts and said lawmakers had failed in the legislation to approve his public-safety proposals, which included increased pay for law enforcement. He said the measure failed to focus properly \u201con the threat that people pose instead of their ability to post bail.\u201d\n <\/p>\n
\n \u201cI\u2019m troubled by its lack of ambition or vision,\u201d Stein said during a short video statement. \u201cIt simply does not do enough to keep you safe.\u201d\n <\/p>\n
\n He also blasted a portion of a section that seeks to restart executions in North Carolina, where capital punishment was last carried out in 2006.\n <\/p>\n
\n Still, the action by Stein, a former state attorney general, affirms in law reforms demanded by GOP politicians and their allies. Stein had until late Friday to act on the bill, which could have also included vetoing it or letting it become law without his signature.\n <\/p>\n
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\n Stein accepted the measure even as Republican lawmakers, including President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance, have blamed Democratic leaders in Charlotte and statewide for soft-on-crime policies they allege allowed the suspect in Iryna Zarutska \u2019s Aug. 22 death to stay out of custody. The outrage intensified with the release of security video showing the attack.\n <\/p>\n
\n Democrats have called the accusations politically motivated, with several arguing during debate last week that the legislation not only wouldn\u2019t address the root causes of crime but also lacked funding for more mental health services. While Republicans are one House seat shy of a veto-proof majority at the General Assembly, the bill received bipartisan support in the chamber, making it more likely that any Stein veto could have been overridden.\n <\/p>\n
\n \u201cFinally, we are getting dangerous criminals off our streets so we can make sure no one else suffers the heartbreak that Iryna Zarutska\u2019s family<\/a> endured,\u201d Charlotte-area Republican state Rep. Tricia Cotham, who helped shepherd the legislation, said in a news release.\n <\/p>\n