A Chicago judge is facing fierce criticism after releasing a man with a shocking 72-arrest record just weeks before he allegedly attacked a woman on a city train.
Lawrence Reed, 50, is accused of dousing 26-year-old Bethany Magee with gasoline and attempting to set her on fire on the L train on November 17.
A Warning Ignored
The incident has brought renewed scrutiny to Cook County Judge Teresa Molina-Gonzalez, who freed Reed back in August despite prosecutors warning that he posed a serious threat to the public.
At that hearing, Reed faced felony aggravated battery charges for allegedly slapping a social worker unconscious inside a psychiatric ward at MacNeal Hospital.
Prosecutors told the court that electronic monitoring would not keep the community safe, but the judge set him free anyway.
The Attack on Bethany Magee
Just weeks later, Reed allegedly approached Magee while she was sitting on the train, poured gasoline over her, and yelled for her to “burn alive.”
Surveillance footage captured the horrifying moment, showing that Magee, a complete stranger to Reed, had been minding her own business on her phone before the attack.
She fought back as Reed tried to set her on fire.
US Attorney Andrew Boutros confirmed the attack was completely random and refuted claims of any altercation beforehand.
“This young woman was on her phone, going through her phone, minding her business, when [Reed] approached her,” Boutros said.
Social Media Outrage
The release of Reed and the subsequent attack ignited outrage online.
Elon Musk was among the most vocal critics, condemning the judge for releasing someone he called a “murderous thug” onto the public.
Musk shared a comparison to a prior case in North Carolina where another career criminal allegedly attacked a Ukrainian refugee, posting a quote from Adam Smith: “Mercy to the guilty is cruelty to the innocent.”
The post went viral, reaching over 24 million views in one day.
Reed’s Troubling History
Reed’s record is extensive and disturbing. Over the past three decades, he has accumulated multiple felony convictions, including a 2020 arson case.
Court transcripts reveal that during the hospital assault, Reed flew into a frenzy, striking the social worker with such force that she lost consciousness and sustained a cut to her cornea, a concussion, memory loss, a chipped tooth, and possible optic nerve bruising.
Despite these warnings and his long criminal record, Judge Molina-Gonzalez told prosecutors she could not keep Reed in jail just because the state requested it.
“I can’t keep everybody in jail because the state’s attorney wants me,” she said at the time.
Political Fallout
The case has also become a political flashpoint.
Officials from the Trump Administration and other Republican leaders criticized the Chicago justice system, arguing that Reed’s release exemplifies the dangers of letting repeat offenders roam free.
Transport Secretary Sean Duffy called the attack “devastating” and blamed Chicago’s policies for putting citizens at risk.
Legal Consequences for Reed
Following the alleged train attack, Reed was ordered held without bail and now faces charges including terrorism.
The case has sparked a broader discussion about judicial discretion, public safety, and the management of career criminals in major U.S. cities.
Public Shock and Debate
From social media outrage to political condemnation, the Chicago community remains reeling from the case.
Reed’s alleged actions, combined with the decision to release him weeks earlier, have intensified debates about the balance between judicial independence and public safety, leaving many questioning how such dangerous individuals continue to evade secure custody.
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