Rogan and Musk Rip NC Judge for Letting Career Criminals Walk Free [WATCH]

Podcaster Joe Rogan and entrepreneur Elon Musk sharply criticized North Carolina’s judicial appointment process following the fatal stabbing of Iryna Zarutska on a Charlotte commuter train earlier this year.

Their comments came during a recent episode of The Joe Rogan Experience, where both questioned how a magistrate judge without a law degree had the authority to release a repeat offender later accused in the killing.

“You think that if you are going to be appointed as a judge, you have to have proven that you have an excellent knowledge of the law and that you will make your decisions according to the law,” Musk said during the discussion.

Rogan and Musk’s remarks focused on Magistrate Judge Teresa Stokes, who released suspect DeCarlos Brown Jr. in January after he signed a written promise to appear in court.

Court records obtained by Fox News Digital show Brown, who has been arrested at least 14 times, was released without posting bond.

He has since been charged with first-degree murder in Zarutska’s death.

Under North Carolina law, magistrate judges are appointed to handle matters such as issuing warrants, conducting initial appearances, and setting release conditions for defendants accused of non-capital offenses.

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However, the state does not require magistrates to hold law degrees or have extensive legal experience.

According to a study by the Columbia Review, North Carolina is among 32 states that allow judges to serve without passing the bar exam, and about 80 percent of its magistrate judges do not possess law degrees.

Rogan questioned how a judge without a legal background could make critical decisions affecting public safety.

“Wasn’t there a crazy story about the judge who was involved [and] had previously dealt with [Brown], was also invested in a rehabilitation center and was sending people that they were charging to a rehabilitation center instead of putting them in jail,” Rogan said.

“Profiting from this rehabilitation center, letting them back out on the street – violent, insane people.”

The remarks referred to online reports alleging that Stokes had ties to Second Chance Services, a Charlotte-based mental health and addiction treatment clinic.

Posts on social media raised questions about whether she had connections to the facility while presiding over criminal cases.

The North Carolina Courts did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment about Stokes’ background or any potential involvement with the clinic.

The case reignited criticism of the state’s judicial system among lawmakers and residents.

“Unqualified Magistrate Judges are letting loose dangerous repeat criminals in North Carolina,” Rep. Mark Harris (R-N.C.) posted on X while sharing a clip of Rogan’s discussion.

“Iryna Zarutska’s tragic murder exposed that Democrat judges are putting criminals before victims.”

Unqualified Magistrate Judges are letting loose dangerous repeat criminals in North Carolina.

Iryna Zarutska’s tragic murder exposed that Democrat judges are putting criminals before victims.

Grateful for @ElonMusk and @JoeRogan continuing to shine a light on this. pic.twitter.com/ArlpgcdQjX

— Rep. Mark Harris (@RepMarkHarrisNC) November 4, 2025

Harris later elaborated on the issue, telling Fox News Digital, “I just think there’s some real concerns that need to be raised in how we get these magistrate [judges] that have the power to put these people back out on the street.”

In the aftermath of Zarutska’s killing, ten Republican members of the North Carolina House of Representatives sent a letter demanding that Stokes be removed from her position.

“It is demoralizing for police when they arrest these folks [and] put them in jail,” Harris said.

“Only to have these magistrates that are unaccountable, untrained – and in many cases – don’t require law degrees, and they put them back out on the streets, and the American public is paying the price.”

The Charlotte stabbing has prompted renewed calls for judicial reform in North Carolina and other states with similar standards.

Critics argue that requiring judges to hold law degrees would help ensure that those responsible for key pretrial decisions are properly trained to evaluate risk and uphold public safety.

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