Rep. Randy Fine Pushes Federal Legislation to Hold Judges Accountable for Releasing Repeat Offenders
By Space Coast Daily // September 10, 2025
Fine previously represented Brevard in Florida Senate and Florida House
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Representative Randy Fine (R-Fla.) announced plans to introduce federal legislation that would hold judges accountable when repeat violent offenders they release commit additional crimes, marking a bold new push in the national debate over public safety and judicial discretion.
Fine previously represented Brevard County in the Florida Senate from 2024 to 2025 and in the Florida House of Representatives from 2016 to 2024. His congressional district covers a six-county area that includes Daytona Beach.
In a post on X, Fine criticized judges who, in his view, prioritize leniency over community safety. “It’s easy to release criminals when you’re protected by an armed bailiff at all times. The rest of us aren’t so lucky,” he wrote. Fine argued that judges who release dangerous individuals should face direct consequences if those individuals go on to harm others.
He pointed to the case of 34-year-old Decarlos Brown, a North Carolina man with an extensive criminal record. Police in Charlotte-Mecklenburg reported that Brown was arrested earlier this year for misusing the 911 system but was released without bail. Nearly a decade earlier, he pleaded guilty to robbery with a dangerous weapon. Fine said Brown’s case illustrates the dangers of a justice system that repeatedly puts violent offenders back on the streets.
“This is about fairness and accountability,” Fine said. “If ordinary citizens are held responsible for their actions, then judges who make reckless decisions that endanger the public should be, too.”
Fine’s proposal enters a larger nationwide battle over bail reform and judicial discretion. Several states, including New York, Illinois, and California, have pursued policies aimed at reducing or eliminating cash bail, arguing that such systems unfairly punish low-income defendants.
Opponents, including many Republicans in Congress, contend that these policies have led to the release of dangerous individuals who go on to reoffend, citing cases similar to Brown’s. Fine’s legislation goes further than most proposals by directly targeting the federal judiciary, a move sure to spark fierce constitutional debate.
Fine has not yet released the full legislative text, but said he intends to introduce the measure in the coming session formally.
