JAIL Act would let victims sue judges who release violent repeat offenders

Radical judges and government officials in liberal cities repeatedly put law-abiding Americans at risk by allowing dangerous criminals to roam free on our streets. Instead of keeping criminals behind bars to protect our society, these soft-on-crime judges release repeat violent offenders on bail, giving them the opportunity to commit more crimes.

You see it in the news almost every week: A deranged criminal commits a violent crime against an innocent member of society, and before you know it, stories are circulating about how the criminal has been arrested a dozen times before and should never have been on our streets in the first place.

Many people remember the tragic death of Iryna Zarutska, a 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee who was fatally stabbed on a Charlotte, North Carolina, Blue Line train in August 2025. Decarlos Brown Jr. He is accused of murder and also faces federal charges, but his eligibility to stand trial is in doubt. He is a man with a history of mental illness who has been arrested and released at least 14 times for allegedly killing Iryna; including charges of armed robbery, aggravated burglary, breaking and entering and assault.

In May 2025, Logan Federico, a 22-year-old junior attending South Piedmont Community College and hoping to become a teacher, was killed in a home invasion while visiting friends in Columbia, SC. Alexander Dickey, the man who allegedly took his life, had previously been arrested 39 times for 25 felonies.

CHARLOTTE LIGHT RAIL STABBY MURDER STIMMED NORTH CAROLINA REPUBLICANS’ CONVENTIONAL CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM

Last September, a 19-year-old criminal allegedly murdered a man while on three separate bail and probation terms. Johnnie Lillie was accused of shooting and killing Jermarkus Johnson in Houston, Texas. Lillie allegedly violated her bail at least half a dozen times after being released from prison; If her parole or bail had been revoked in any case, Lillie would not be on the streets and Johnson would likely be alive today.

Earlier this year, in February, Abdul Jalloh – illegal immigrant From Sierra Leone – He was charged with murder after allegedly brutally stabbing a Virginia woman named Stephanie Minter to death at a bus stop. He had been arrested more than 30 times, including on charges of “rape, malicious wounding, assault, drug possession, identity theft, trespassing, burglary, shooting, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, and pickpocketing,” according to Homeland Security.

And just in May, a man was arrested for allegedly fatally stabbing 23-year-old Alyssa Paige and beating postal worker Monique Thomas with a rock along the Atlanta BeltLine. The suspect, Jahmare Brown, had previous arrests in January, including on charges of battery on another female victim. He was sentenced to a mental health evaluation, anger management classes, and 120 days in jail; however, records show he was released after only 60 days in jail.

CLICK FOR OTHER OPINIONS OF FOX NEWS

When is enough? At what point will these judges learn from their past life-endangering mistakes and stop releasing dangerous violent criminals back into our communities? In the name of justice and public safety, we cannot continue to allow radical judges to prioritize criminals over innocent Americans and our communities.

To break this devastating cycle of violent crime, we must close the criminal justice system’s revolving door that allows repeat offenders to go free and ignores the suffering of victims and their families. The victims, their families, and all Americans deserve true justice; not a system that minimizes violent crime through early release, lenient bail, or lax probation.

CLICK TO DOWNLOAD FOX NEWS APPLICATION

That’s why I introduced legislation that would hold radical judges accountable for the often fatal consequences of their leniency toward dangerous criminals. The “Judicial Accountability for Repentance Act,” or JAIL Act, eliminates federal and state judges’ immunity from prosecution, allowing victims and family members to sue judges and other government agencies to release violent repeat offenders on bail if they go on to commit another violent crime.

A government’s most important responsibility is to protect its people. It is long past time for Congress and public officials to take a stand for the safety of Americans and make stories of violent criminals freed to commit more crimes unthinkable. Let’s pass the Prison Bill and finally implement the accountability Americans demand.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE REST OF SEN’S NEWS. TIM SHEEHY