09/15/2025
We are not trying to get into politics on FB. But I have seen a lot of posts about the suspect in the Charlotte subway murder being "released". This is total nonsense. He has not been released. He has been sent to a hospital that does competency evaluations. This happens often. It is to make sure he is competent to stand trial.
What does that mean? It means he can assist his attorney with his own defense, knows what is going on, and minimally understands the charges against him. It does not happen often that someone is declared incompetent to stand trial. The bar is very high. But his attorney, the DA, and the judge have to jump through those hoops to make sure he is competent if there is any question. Since the feds have charged him, there is a federal detainer. That means even if the judge or DA dismiss, he is not going back out on the streets any time soon.
Don't believe this nonsense going around. It is meant to get an emotional reaction.
What happened in Charlotte is without question nothing short of horrible. So long as he is competent, he needs to stand trial and be held accountable. We also need to address the issues that were highlighted from this murder.
First, we need a reasonable and consistent way of deciding what bonds people get. Not a number pulled from thin air. Not a bond given by an unelected magistrate without a law degree for a serious offense(no, a law degree is not required and most don't have one).
Second, we need to truly address the mental health issues in our communities. There are tons of people sitting in jails and prisons with mental health issues. If we invest in mental health, we will reduce these incidents. I am not saying everyone with a mental health issue is excused automatically for anything they do. I am saying we can prevent them from being repeat problems by addressing the root cause early on when they first have an encounter with the courts (usually for something more minor). Or sometimes they could be given this treatment without needing a criminal charge.
Third, we need to address our court systems being overrun with cases, backlogged by the failure of a system known as Odyssey(E-Courts), and how this has kept us from really addressing the cases that need to be addressed. We have a shortage of ADAs (prosecutors) in North Carolina. Many are overworked and under paid. It's time to change that. Law enforcement are also severely under paid and under staffed. They need training and resources to properly do their jobs. Then they need prosecutors who can follow that up in a court room and get convictions. Finally, we need judges that will give appropriate sentences.
If all that happens, things will improve. However, as usual this will probably fall on deaf ears. Memory of this incident will fade. And we will all go on like nothing happened. Its quite sad.
Your job as a citizen of NC is to vote and contact your elected officials to push for change.
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