The brutal murder of 23-year-old Iryna Zarutska shocked the nation.
A refugee from war-torn Ukraine, she came to America looking for peace and safety. What she found instead was a violent death at the hands of a criminal who never should’ve been back on the streets.
And while the crime happened in North Carolina, the root cause runs much deeper – and hits far too close to home here in Nevada.
Iryna’s accused killer, Decarlos Brown, was no stranger to law enforcement. He had a long history of violent behavior, arrests, and clearly posed a danger to the public.
But thanks to soft-on-crime bail reform policies, he was released without proper supervision.
And now, Iryna is dead.
Here’s where Nevada comes in.
Our own Attorney General, Aaron Ford, has been a loud supporter of the very same kinds of criminal justice reforms that helped put Iryna’s killer back on the street.
In a 2019 internal memo, Ford called for sweeping changes to how bail is handled in Nevada.
He urged that most misdemeanor offenders be released without posting any cash bail at all.
In other words: just let them go. No skin in the game. No money down. Just a pinky promise to show up in court later.
Even for serious charges, Ford’s policy memo pushes for so-called “alternatives to incarceration,” like house arrest or drug testing, instead of jail.
He said it’s about fairness – but where’s the fairness for victims like Iryna?
Ford’s office says these aren’t orders, just guidelines.
But when the top law enforcement officer in the state sets this tone, it sends a message loud and clear: lock fewer people up, even if it means taking more risks.
Let’s not kid ourselves. Nevada isn’t immune.
Since Assembly Bill 236 passed in 2019, which Ford supported, our state has seen a surge in property crime. That law raised the threshold for felony theft and watered down punishments across the board.
The result? More smash-and-grabs. More stolen cars. More victims.
People in Las Vegas and Reno have felt the impact firsthand.
Stores are locking up shampoo. Police can’t chase suspects over minor thefts. It’s the same story in too many places.
This isn’t just about statistics. It’s about real people.
And if we keep following the same failed playbook, it’s only a matter of time before Nevada sees its own Iryna Zarutska.
Supporters of bail reform argue that it’s unfair to keep people in jail just because they’re poor. That’s a worthy concern.
But it’s also no excuse to throw out common sense. Public safety has to come first.
There’s a big difference between a first-time shoplifter and someone with a history of assault. Treating them the same isn’t “reform” – it’s reckless.
Even some former supporters of these reforms are beginning to have second thoughts.
New York has had to backtrack on parts of its bail reform laws after cases like Iryna’s made national headlines.
Nevada doesn’t have to wait for tragedy to strike. We can learn from what’s happening elsewhere and take action now.
We need leaders who prioritize victims, not just offenders.
That means putting tougher guidelines in place, not weaker ones.
That means giving judges and prosecutors the tools they need to keep dangerous people off the street.
And it means asking hard questions of politicians like Aaron Ford who’ve chosen ideology over public safety.
Because at the end of the day, every bad policy has a real-world cost. And sometimes, that cost is someone’s life.
Just ask the family of Iryna Zarutska.
Source: Aaron Ford’s 2019 Criminal Justice Reform Memo on Scribd
The opinions expressed by contributors are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Nevada News & Views. This article was written with the assistance of AI. Please verify information and consult additional sources as needed.
