Chicago’s top prosecutor turns on woke judge who freed 72-time arrestee accused of setting devout Christian woman, 26, on fire on train
The state’s attorney’s office in Chicago has spoken out after it was revealed that a circuit judge approved the release of a violent arrestee who then allegedly set a woman on fire during her commute.
Lawrence Reed, 50, was arrested on November 19 and faces charges of federal terrorism for allegedly attacking Bethany MaGee, 26, while she sat on Chicago’s commuter train line.
He allegedly doused her in gasoline before yelling, ‘burn b***h’ and set her ablaze – after which he fled the scene at the next station.
MaGee survived the attack; however, questions now loom over why Reed was out on the streets when he was a repeat violent offender.
‘This heinous crime is heartbreaking. But it didn’t come out of nowhere. My office requested the perpetrator be detained after he committed a previous violent crime,’ State’s Attorney Eileen O’Neill Burke said.
‘The judge denied our request. This was a tragedy. But it never should have happened.’
Burke has long been a staunch advocate for the safety of Chicago commuters and has announced that her office will now push for detention in all cases involving violent felony offenses committed on public transit.
The announcement comes after it was revealed that Circuit Judge Teresa Molina-Gonzalez let Reed free over the summer after he was arrested for assaulting a social worker.
Illinois State’s Attorney Eileen O’Neill Burke said her office attempted to keep Lawrence Reed in jail, but the request was denied by a circuit judge
Lawrence Reed, 50, was arrested on November 19 and faces charges of federal terrorism for allegedly attacking a woman on Chicago’s commuter train line
Judge Teresa Molina Teresa Molina-Gonzalez allowed Reed to be released with an ankle monitor for a violent offense in August
Prosecutors warned that Reed had a violent past, but he was released with just an ankle monitor to keep him in check.
‘I can’t keep everybody in jail because the state’s attorney wants me to,’ Molina-Gonzalez said at the time, as first reported by CWB Chicago.
Chicago eliminated the cash bail system in 2021 under the SAFE-T Act (Safety, Accountability, Fairness, and Equity-Today) and implemented a new system to handle arrestees.
Cash bail is often seen as discriminatory and keeps people who don’t have the means to afford bail awaiting trial in jail longer.
The process is also used to ensure that a defendant will return to court for trial or subsequent hearings.
The sweeping reform, passed four years ago, eliminated cash bail and instituted alternative ways to monitor arrestees before trial, including electronic monitoring.
Prosecutors are tasked with determining whether individuals awaiting trial are flight risks or threats to public safety, and then make a recommendation to the judge.
Judges then determine whether the individual can be released or must remain in jail.
Burke expressed doubts over whether the chief judge’s office could run the program safely when the initiative passed.
Reed had a long rap sheet, including over 70 arrests, and was detained over the summer after allegedly assaulting a social worker
Reed allegedly attacked the 26-year-old woman while she sat on a train car. He allegedly doused her in gasoline before setting her on fire
Reed then fled the scene, yelling ‘burn b***h’ at the next stop while witnesses rushed to help Bethany MaGee
She said at the time that, ‘personnel are not law enforcement officers and cannot investigate, seek escape charges, or obtain an arrest warrant if a person absconds.’
Chief Judge Timothy Evans, a supporter of the SAFE-T Act, oversees the initiative. A spokesperson for the court’s office addressed the backlash in a media release.
‘The Office of the Chief Judge extends our deepest concern to the individual who was injured, and we take this matter extremely seriously,’ the statement read.
‘Any incident in which someone is harmed is unacceptable, and public safety remains our top priority.’
Although the office couldn’t comment on Reed’s specific case, a spokesperson provided general guidelines on how the electric monitoring system works.
In Illinois, the threshold for denying pretrial release is intentionally high, and prosecutors must prove ‘specific, unmanageable risk’ to detain an individual until their trial.
Reed was captured on surveillance camera footage at a gas station before the alleged attack
Reed was seen filling up a container with gas at a station before the attack. He had an ankle monitor and wasn’t allowed to be out of his house on Mondays
The Pretrial Services Division receives an average of 8,500 alerts each week, which are reported to the court within 72 hours.
Chief Judge Timothy Evans was a proponent of criminal justice reform under the SAFE-T Act
Pretrial officers address the alerts at the individual’s next court date, and officers are only alerted if the individual enters a prohibited area or cuts off the device.
Police officers don’t detain individuals who break the rules. The chief justice’s office said it is reviewing the procedures in light of Reed’s case.
Records obtained by CWB Chicago revealed that Reed had received permission to be out of his house from 10am to 5pm on Tuesdays, 11am to 8pm on Saturdays, and 8am to 3pm on Sundays.
The alleged attack occurred on a Monday. A filing on Reed’s record noted that pretrial officers were notified at 9:13am on Monday that Reed had left his home.
They received two ‘escalated alerts’ on Tuesday, just a few hours after the alleged attack. At that point, officers were searching for a ‘person of interest,’ and Reed was arrested later that day.
The filing also noted that Reed was away from his home for nearly 12 hours the weekend before the attack.
Bethany MaGee, a 26-year-old devout Christian, was identified as the victim of the attack
MaGee’s family recently said in a statement that she’s still recovering from the severe burns in the hospital
In response to increased scrutiny around the program, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker told reporters on Tuesday that he’d be open to tweaks.
The victim’s family issued a statement on Tuesday that MaGee is currently hospitalized with severe burns.
‘Bethany is a beloved daughter, sister, sister-in-law, granddaughter, and aunt. She is a good friend. She is sensitive, caring, intelligent, and imaginative,’ the statement read.
‘She loves living in Chicago, and her gentle spirit makes her a favorite with every pet she meets.’
