Roy Cooper's Judicial Record and Criminal Releases Scrutinized in North Carolina Senate Race
Breitbart reports that North Carolina Senate candidate Roy Cooper, the state's former governor, appointed judges who made lenient bail decisions and oversaw the release of approximately 3,500 inmates during the COVID-19 pandemic, some of whom subsequently reoffended. The article cites specific cases where released individuals or those given reduced bonds allegedly committed serious crimes. Cooper is currently leading his Republican opponent Michael Whatley by 6.8 percentage points in polling.
According to Breitbart, Roy Cooper's tenure as North Carolina governor (2017-2025) included judicial appointments and criminal release decisions that critics characterize as lenient on crime. The article details Cooper's administration's release of roughly 3,500 inmates during the coronavirus pandemic following litigation by the ACLU and NAACP, and highlights several cases where released individuals or those given reduced bonds by Cooper-appointed judges allegedly committed subsequent crimes, including murder and assault. Specific examples include Lucas Shayne Scronce, released during the pandemic, who later pleaded guilty in connection with his 16-month-old daughter's death; Shyrone Evans, released on a $15,000 bond by judge Kendra Montgomery-Blinn, who allegedly killed a man; and cases involving judges Peter Knight, Tracy Hewett, John Arrowood, and Reuben Young, all appointed by Cooper, who made bond reductions or appellate decisions that critics view as overly lenient. Republican Senate candidate Michael Whatley called for Cooper to explain the rationale behind these decisions. Current polling shows Cooper leading Whatley by 6.8 percentage points.
What's missing
The article presents allegations and specific cases but lacks response or context from Roy Cooper or his representatives addressing these claims. Additionally, the article does not provide information about the overall crime statistics in North Carolina during Cooper's tenure, the reasons cited by the ACLU and NAACP for the litigation that led to the pandemic releases, judicial standards for bond-setting, or whether the judges' decisions were within normal ranges for their jurisdictions. The article also does not contextualize how many of the 3,500 released individuals reoffended versus how many did not.
What different sources said
- BreitbartFar Right
Senate Candidate Roy Cooper Has Catastrophic Record of Soft-on-Crime Judicial Appointments
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