Crime & Law

Cook County Chief Judge Launches Review After Man on Pretrial Release Charged in CTA Arson Attack

Cook County Chief Judge Tim Evans said his office is “reviewing all actions” after a Chicago man who had been out on pretrial release was charged with dousing a woman in gasoline and lighting her on fire on board a CTA Blue Line train this month.

Evans’ office late Tuesday issued a statement days after the arrest of 50-year-old Lawrence Reed, who now faces a federal terrorism charge in connection with the train attack.

“We will continue to work closely with our justice-system partners to assess current procedures and determine whether additional safeguards or policy adjustments are warranted,” Evans’ office said. “The Office of the Chief Judge remains committed to fairness, accountability and the highest standards of public trust.”

Reed has a lengthy history of criminal arrests including earlier this year when he was charged in Cook County court with aggravated battery. County prosecutors pushed to have Reed detained pending trial, but a judge rejected that request, allowing for Reed to be released on electronic monitoring.

Last week, Reed was riding on a Blue Line train when he allegedly poured gasoline over 26-year-old Bethany MaGee at random. MaGee attempted to fight off Reed and ran to the front of the train, a federal complaint states, as Reed lit the bottle in his hand on fire and used it to set her ablaze.

According to the complaint, surveillance footage showed MaGee “engulfed in flames,” which she attempted to extinguish by rolling on the ground. When the train stopped at Clark and Lake, she was able to exit before collapsing on the platform as Reed allegedly walked away from the scene.

MaGee survived and remains hospitalized.

Cook County State’s Attorney Eileen O’Neill Burke called the attack “a tragedy” that “never should have happened.”

“Safety on the CTA is essential for Chicago to thrive,” she said in a social media post. “That’s why on Day 1, I instituted a policy to protect the millions of residents who rely on public transit in their daily lives. My office now seeks detention for any violent felony offense committed on public transit.”

Evans’ office said it is prohibited from commenting on the specifics of Reed’s case, but did outline the “legal standards and procedures” that guide judicial decisions in all pretrial matters.

Under the Pretrial Fairness Act, which outlawed cash bail statewide, the threshold for denying pretrial release is intentionally high, Evans’ office said.

“The State must prove, by clear and convincing evidence, that no condition or combination of conditions can reasonably ensure a defendant’s appearance in court or protect the public,” Evans’ office said. “Allegations alone are not enough; the law requires evidence of a specific, unmanageable risk that cannot be addressed through available supervision or court-ordered conditions.”

Earlier this year, Evans’ office took over management of pretrial electronic monitoring after the Cook County Sheriff’s Office ended its decades-old program.

According to the office, major violations — such as tampering with or removing a device — are reported to prosecutors and the court within 72 hours, while more minor alerts are addressed at subsequent court dates.

Pretrial officers may involve law enforcement only when a “clear, articulable threat to public safety” is present, such as cutting off a device or entering a prohibited area, Evans’ office said.

The office is considering an immediate change to reinstate the practice of reporting escalated electronic monitoring alerts to the State’s Attorney’s Office.

“We are reviewing all actions taken in this case,” Evans’ office said, “to ensure procedures were followed and to identify opportunities for improvement.”

Evans’ tenure as chief judge ends Dec. 1 when his successor Charles Beach will be sworn in. Beach, a former criminal defense attorney who became a judge in 2017, defeated the eight-term incumbent in a vote by fellow Cook County judges. 

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