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Newsom-Appointed Judge Nichelle Holmes Once Said “Justice Sometimes Means a Dismissal,” After Release Linked to Fatal Stabbing, Fox Reports
The Apex Times

THE APEX TIMES

Politics/The Apex Times/Aug 14, 6:24 AM EDT

Newsom-Appointed Judge Nichelle Holmes Once Said “Justice Sometimes Means a Dismissal,” After Release Linked to Fatal Stabbing, Fox Reports

Fox News reported that a Newsom-appointed California judge, Nichelle Holmes, previously remarked that “justice” can include dismissals, and that she later released Marcos Iriarte-Valdez before he allegedly stabbed Todd Stewart to death.

2 min readEditor-approved Apex article

A California judge appointed by Gov. Gavin Newsom, Nichelle Holmes, has come under renewed scrutiny after a Fox News report tied her prior rulings to a fatal stabbing case, according to the report published on August 14, 2026. Fox said Holmes had once described the meaning of justice in terms that included dismissals, and that she later released Marcos Iriarte-Valdez before he was alleged to have killed Todd Stewart, 68.

Fox reported that Holmes, in earlier remarks, said “justice sometimes means a dismissal.” The report did not describe the full procedural history of the earlier case in which the quote was made, but it presented the statement as part of Holmes’s judicial perspective on outcomes in criminal proceedings.

Separately, Fox described the events it said followed Holmes’s decision to release Iriarte-Valdez. The report alleged that after being freed, Iriarte-Valdez went on to kill Todd Stewart in a stabbing, with Stewart identified by Fox as 68 years old. Fox did not, in the description provided, lay out the specific timing between Holmes’s release order and the fatal incident, nor did it cite a court order or charging document in the initial packet.

The reported sequence highlights how criminal custody decisions can affect public safety outcomes while also raising due-process considerations that are embedded in the criminal justice system. Decisions to release defendants before trial, based on bond conditions or other pretrial standards, typically operate within rules set by statute and court procedure, and they are generally subject to review mechanisms that can vary by county and case posture.

Fox did not provide, in the supplied summary, the prosecution’s arguments on why Iriarte-Valdez should not have been released, nor did it specify whether the release decision involved a bail determination, a sentencing-related early-release scenario, or another type of order. Without those additional details from the court record, the reporting remains an account of allegations and a linkage between a prior quote and subsequent events described by Fox.

The case also raises questions about how courts communicate legal reasoning and how the public interprets outcomes that may appear counterintuitive in hindsight. While the quote attributed to Holmes suggests an approach that can lead to dismissals in some circumstances, the legal standard for release decisions depends on the facts of each case, including the evidentiary posture and the applicable standards for custody and supervision.

Why It Matters

  • The report centers on pretrial or release decisions and how they intersect with public safety, raising questions about enforcement and supervision standards.
  • Because the supplied information does not include the underlying orders, it underscores the importance of reviewing the full court record to understand the legal basis for release and subsequent allegations.
  • The emphasis on a judicial quote about dismissals highlights how public interpretation of legal outcomes can diverge from the procedural standards that govern criminal cases.
  • If the allegations are sustained, it may prompt renewed scrutiny of how courts apply release criteria and what conditions are used to manage custody risk.

Sources

Key Facts

  • Fox News reported that California judge Nichelle Holmes, appointed by Gov. Gavin Newsom, previously said “justice sometimes means a dismissal.”
  • Fox reported that Holmes later released Marcos Iriarte-Valdez.
  • Fox reported that Marcos Iriarte-Valdez was accused in connection with the fatal stabbing death of Todd Stewart, 68.
  • The Fox report, as provided in the source packet, did not include the specific court documents or detailed procedural timeline in the description.