Posted on 09/10/2025 6:05:56 AM PDT by DallasBiff
Magistrate Judge Teresa Stokes is not qualified to practice as a lawyer in the state of North Carolina, according to the state's database of registered lawyers. The revelation comes after it was reported that Stokes released Decarlos Brown on cashless bail after his last brush with the law before he was charged with stabbing 23-year-old Iryna Zarutska to death in August.
When Stoke's name is entered into the North Carolina State Bar lawyer look-up tool, an error is presented, indicating the judge, although overseeing a magistrate court, does not have the ability to practice law as a lawyer professionally in the state of North Carolina. Magistrate judges in the state do not have to be licensed lawyers, according to state law.
The findings were first reported by journalist Laura Loomer, who also uncovered other details surrounding the judge, who is appointed over the Charlotte District in Mecklenburg County Court in North Carolina.
(Excerpt) Read more at thepostmillennial.com ...
Its probably good that you don’t need to be a lawyer to be a judge. Now they just need to elect or appoint the right kind of non-lawyers as judges.
Like many jurisdictions, judges are not required to be lawyers.
Why the state of NC would have judges that are not lawyers is beyond me.
Perhaps they ran out of ethical lawyers?
There are a lot of good reasons for a Judge not required to be a licensed lawyer.
Ethical lawyer is an oxymoron.
That said, I’ve known some very good JPs who weren’t lawyers. Don’t know any magistrate judges as I never did defense work and was never a prosecutor.
And I’ll bet anything she’s thinks, I mean, she knows she’s overqualified for the job.
“””Like many jurisdictions, judges are not required to be lawyers.”””””””””””””””
I’ve seen that before. It makes no sense that a non lawyer would be a judge deciding legal matters.
True but a quick review of her CV’s and you know how/why she got the job.
The judges in North Carolina are elected, and not just the bottom-level ones - even the Supreme Court! You run for judge as a Democrat or Republican.
So feel free to throw your hat in the ring....
I find the emphasis on cashless bail a little strange. If a bail bondsman had been required to post a bond in this case would that have made the murderer any less of a scumbag.
To me, the ability to post bail, or get someone else to do it for you, should not be a factor in whether someone can be released pending trial.
If you are a threat to society or are likely to flee you should not be out.
Otherwise being released pending trial should not depend on being able to post bail.
so recall this useless thing
Another unqualified sloppy democrat activist. Soros and democrats likely behind this destruction of US justice system.
I admit that I have no better understanding of the law than any given citizen, but I am curious… Why wouldn’t it be required for a judge to be a legally licensed lawyer?
Can you give me an example of one of the reasons that might be a good one in which being licensed in law is counterproductive to being a competent judge?
This is not a snarky question, it isn’t just something I expected or have even thought about.
I just made an assumption that a judge who makes decisions based on law would have to know the law.
Of course, it is also true that being licensed in something is simply having engaged in the fact of paying a fee to a local or state entity for the privilege of practicing, but most of the time licensing involves a test of competency.
I am curious… I would’ve never expected something like this. Even in places where judges are elected (I assume that happens in some localities) and not appointed, to be eligible to be elected for that job, I just made the assumption that they would have to be licensed.
There are a lot of good reasons for a Judge not required to be a licensed lawyer.
*******
Give me one.
Any criticism of this judge will be determined to be racist hate speech.
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