[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":72,"_74":72},"mediaId",6455215,"mediaKeyId","5851441-a4002e76225f811f34cd15f43ab482dd","parentId",5851441,"title","Victims' relatives tell House panel of delayed prosecutions and repeat-offender failures","audioSeconds",945,"startMs",2261000,"endMs",3206000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5851441-a4002e76225f811f34cd15f43ab482dd&start=2261&end=3206","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5851441-a4002e76225f811f34cd15f43ab482dd/thumbnail_2261000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6455215/Victims-relatives-tell-House-panel-of-delayed-prosecutions-and-repeat-offender-failures","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6455215-68ae976dbc46948566450b456a757e84/orig.mp4?Expires=1770410260&Signature=FKKi~N2UpCg7uft1etsvj0jZ56jAOtPdpCAyilewT0XTqlQvtPfkSD~ZePfQ9cKK-Mk0pGPb3OaAlgfiYsSbKOzROpF7HToHlnuas6C2HpTOBMo~7iVYhjxMYslq0icfPaYShsRewDbuK~zpGZ1Q2w5BH-ZqmktltdVAPk0XQ0C80JE9XwXsKl7EZIakEXzKs2ZZnIhciOYDLbA3j31AiGzR5lPUBn59R0kJtnisi7thrCbVYGJ8xhngJCQWAYslqV~74gxll~0gqAfPaquon-QSpQSyUK0EAvTIQF2npB7C2p6kC~T-K4vDgMKy~K9ffvSxhHtJ6ChNZrK9nsRJvQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","U.S. House Committee on the Judiciary","date","2025-09-29T16:50:53Z","article","Family members of homicide victims, and a wounded police officer, told a House Judiciary subcommittee in Charlotte that delays in prosecution and repeated unsecured releases of defendants contributed to further tragedies.

Testimony from two families — the grandmother of Mary Collins and the father of Logan Federico — and an officer injured in a 2024 task-force shooting laid out detailed grievances about specific cases, including bond decisions and the pace of prosecutions.

Why this matters: relatives said criminal-justice system failures compounded their original losses. They urged stricter detention for repeat violent offenders, better communication from prosecutors and swifter trials so evidence and witnesses are preserved.

Mia Alderman, who identified herself as the grandmother of Mary Collins, described the 2020 killing of her 20-year-old granddaughter and what she called years of delay in bringing accused suspects to trial. \"Five years is not justice. Five years is torment,\" Alderman told the committee. She said two suspects in the case were released on bond and that one, identified in her testimony as America Rae Deal, had repeatedly violated curfew and monitoring conditions while remaining free.

Logan Federico, father of 22-year-old Logan Federico who was murdered while visiting friends, described the offender's extensive criminal history: \"He was arrested 39 goddamn times, 25 felonies,\" Federico said. Federico outlined multiple prior arrests and short sentences that, in his view, should have kept the defendant incarcerated. \"My daughter deserved to be heard,\" he said; \"I will fight until my last breath for my daughter.\"

Officer Campbell, who testified in a personal capacity about a 2024 incident in which multiple marshals and officers were shot during service of an arrest warrant, described long-term injuries and the challenges of policing when repeat violent offenders are repeatedly released. \"We spend a lot of our time chasing our tail and rearresting the same people that we arrested the week prior,\" he said. He urged courts to deny bond for violent offenders: \"If you commit a crime against another person violently, that you should not have a bond.\"

Witnesses and members repeatedly described court delays: Alderman said the county's murder docket lagged years behind and that some cases from 2019 were still being processed. Members pressed local practices — magistrate bond decisions and prosecutorial staffing — as proximate causes of public-safety failures.

Several members told the panel they planned to pursue legislative and oversight steps. Representative Moore said the problem was a policy question about magistrates and judges rather than a pure funding issue, while other members said the state legislature had authorized additional prosecutors and awaited the governor's signature on some measures.

The hearing focused on individual suffering and concrete case details while also feeding a larger partisan policy debate about pretrial release, funding for prosecutors and the role of magistrates. No formal enforcement actions were taken at the hearing.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Victims of Violent Crime","oneSentenceSummary","Relatives of homicide victims and a wounded officer testified in Charlotte that court delays and repeated unsecured releases kept violent offenders on the streets, and they urged reforms and accountability at magistrate, prosecutor and legislative levels.","taxTitle","Judiciary: House Committee, Standing Committees - House & Senate, Congressional Hearings Compilation, Legislative, Federal","taxId",1830,"location","","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":72,"_74":72},6455219,"House Judiciary hearing in Charlotte spotlights pretrial release and calls for 'Irina's law'",6729,3540000,10269000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5851441-a4002e76225f811f34cd15f43ab482dd&start=3540&end=10269","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5851441-a4002e76225f811f34cd15f43ab482dd/thumbnail_3540000.jpg","/articles/6455219/House-Judiciary-hearing-in-Charlotte-spotlights-pretrial-release-and-calls-for-Irinas-law","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6455219-471905287598f546d66d0d56e14cc330/orig.mp4?Expires=1770410260&Signature=J0qK-86N797zZJx4dih9EKqhRvYHriom5FWbcYtqcOhDRbPPuQ3sKa5nzi7morX~0xa92~rMOPiqGEMJQo7Gq~E~~Dk8wOCxRVsZP9qdFcP6DHqEdqfhdPDhDRQjPC7SvO7QLP1vqBsG2O4pWWxUvuzPubZxPHz9mSfnX6Ws7Q0KrtSkUwjhGISHLlO~cIgtrtJePQMdrmU4Ji6qPpWaSnUoJOLcbFMWpMGqZp7GQVd4eRVoprbSPAhvkNRodRyq8J4u3NHXLnpPHqVmAanmcOQomCxGgrItumXK507eixTvrkceWXzB8AXnZmG-QjwDFFYuRwrJ1DquHy3ZIb6bVg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","A House Judiciary subcommittee hearing in Charlotte on Sept. 25 drew elected officials, prosecutors, law enforcement and family members of homicide victims to focus attention on pretrial release policies and the role those policies play in violent recidivism.

The hearing's central policy debate converged on cashless or unsecured pretrial release and whether restoring secured bail or other statutory changes would reduce violent crime. Witnesses and members debated the scale and causes of recent changes in crime, and several speakers urged federal support for state reforms such as \"Irina's law.\"

Why this matters: witnesses linked high-profile murders to repeat offenders who had been released pending trial, and several members said state and local judicial practice — particularly magistrates' bond decisions — was as important as funding. Supporters of secured bail said it increases accountability through family or co-signer involvement; supporters of pretrial reform argued that alternatives can reduce incarceration without increasing risk.

Representative Van Drew, chairing the field hearing, framed the session in victims' terms and described a pattern the committee has seen in other cities: \"We're mourning for innocent lives that have been lost,\" he said. That message set the tone for many members' questions about magistrates, prosecutorial staffing and the consequences of cashless bail.

Michael Woody, North Carolina chairman of the National Association for Bail Agents, told the committee unsecured release removed accountability and cited local spending on pretrial programs. \"Unsecured release removes the accountability that comes when families and communities have financial stakes in ensuring compliance,\" he said, adding county figures he said showed millions spent on pretrial staff and programs in Mecklenburg County.

Jeff Asher, a crime-data analyst and co-founder of Age DataLytics, presented a contrasting view of national trends, saying murder and many categories of violent crime have fallen since 2022. \"Murder in The United States fell at the fastest rate ever recorded by the FBI in both 2023 and 2024,\" he said, and his data sample showed further declines in 2025. He cautioned that explaining the decline is complex and requires multiple explanations.

Former and current prosecutors and a former federal prosecutor who testified said both funding and policy matter. Dina King, a former state and federal prosecutor who worked in Mecklenburg County, said prosecution offices in the state are understaffed relative to national standards and urged more resources for prosecutors and for community-based prevention and treatment programs.

Several members pressed the point that policy choices — not only dollars — affect public safety. Representative Klein recounted prosecutorial and magistrate practices in other states and said where judicial presumptions and bond rules were tightened, more offenders remained detained pending trial.

Multiple members and witnesses referenced a pending North Carolina measure known in testimony as \"Irina's law,\" describing it as a state-level proposal to limit unsecured release for repeat or dangerous offenders and to require secured or cash bail more often in serious cases. Michael Woody described provisions that would require secured bail or detention for certain repeat offenders and immediate judicial review in some cases. Witnesses said the state legislature had approved assistance to add prosecutors but that the bill's full effect depended on the governor's signature and on local implementation.

On federal support and grants, witnesses urged clearer alignment of federal funding with local accountability. Several members raised concerns about reductions in federal grant programs they said supported local law enforcement, victim services and intervention programs; others warned against funding localities that, in their view, had adopted practices that made communities less safe.

The hearing brought sharply divergent frames into the same room: some speakers emphasized victims' accounts and called for stricter detention policies for repeat violent offenders; others argued the data show a recent nationwide decline in murder and violent crime and urged a combined approach of prosecution, prevention, mental-health and community services.

The subcommittee did not vote on legislation. Members said they would return to Washington with the witnesses' testimony and pursue follow-up questions and possible statutory or appropriations actions.","A House Judiciary subcommittee hearing in Charlotte on victims of violent crime focused on pretrial-release policies, cashless bail and proposals such as North Carolina's \"Irina's law,\" with witnesses and members sharply divided over policy, funding and data on crime trends.","actionData","errors"]

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Victims' relatives tell House panel of delayed prosecutions and repeat-offender failures

House Judiciary hearing in Charlotte spotlights pretrial release and calls for 'Irina's law'