Chicago has become the place where violent criminals go to get a pat on the head, a monitoring bracelet, and a reminder to “be nice out there.” And then—shock of shocks—they go out and commit atrocities. The latest? A 26-year-old woman on a Chicago train was set on fire by a man with 72 prior arrests, after a Cook County judge released him just months earlier. You cannot make this up. Even Hollywood wouldn’t greenlight a plot this stupid.

A Sleeping Woman, a Flammable Liquid, and a Judge Who Should Have Known Better

The attacker, 50-year-old Lawrence Reed, didn’t beat around the bush. According to prosecutors, he walked up to a sleeping woman, doused her with accelerant, lit her on fire, and casually strolled away like he’d just finished microwaving popcorn. The woman suffered burns over nearly 60% of her body. She’s undergone multiple surgeries and is still fighting for her life. Meanwhile, the judge who released Reed? She’s probably somewhere insisting she “followed the law.” Sure—because the law now apparently requires common sense to be turned off like a light switch.

You Know What’s Worse Than One Felony Arson Charge? Seventy-Two Arrests

Reed wasn’t some first-time offender who had a bad week. This man had a criminal record that read like a CVS receipt—arson, aggravated battery, drug possession, property damage, theft—you name it. He even spent time in prison for setting a government building on fire in 2020. And yet Cook County looked at all this and said, “You know what this guy needs? More outside time.” Honestly, it’s a miracle Chicago doesn’t hand out punch cards. “Commit 10 crimes, get your next felony free!”

Prosecutors BEGGED the Judge to Detain Him, and She Still Said ‘Nah’

At Reed’s August 22 hearing, prosecutor Jerrilyn Gumila laid it out plainly: this man is dangerous, violent, unpredictable, and electronic monitoring won’t protect the public. She described video of Reed attacking a hospital social worker so hard the woman lost consciousness, suffered eye injuries, a concussion, nausea, memory issues, and a chipped tooth. In any sane jurisdiction, that would mean “jail.” In Cook County, it means “Sir, here’s an ankle bracelet. Please don’t slap anyone else into the next dimension.”

Illinois’ Pretrial Fairness Act: The Law That Pretends Criminals Are Misunderstood Kittens

Thanks to the Pretrial Fairness Act, judges cannot hold a defendant unless specific criteria are met. Apparently, being a mentally unstable, violent, previously convicted arsonist with 72 arrests doesn’t meet those criteria. The law is designed for fairness—but what about fairness for people who don’t want to be turned into human torches on their morning commute? Where is their justice?

The Judge’s Response Was Basically: “My Hands Are Tied—But Also, I’m Letting Him Out Anyway”

Judge Teresa Molina-Gonzalez told prosecutors, “I can’t keep everybody in jail because the state’s attorney wants me to.” Translation: You’re asking me to do my job, and that’s a big ask. She released Reed on electronic monitoring, lectured him about his “ridiculous” criminal history, then allowed him to leave his house 40 hours a week, way above the state’s usual 16-hour allowance. Why? So he could “take care of essential activities.” Apparently arsonists have very busy schedules.

Judge Teresa Molina-Gonzalez

And Because Chicago Never Misses a Chance to Make Things Worse…

Weeks later, Judge Ralph Meczyk expanded Reed’s off-home hours even MORE because his attorney said Reed needed time for “church activities.” Wonderful. So he got the spiritual exemption. Meanwhile, investigators later discovered he violated his curfew multiple times—shocking absolutely no one except the people paid to supervise him.

The Mental Illness Excuse: The Left’s Favorite ‘Get-Out-of-Jail-Free’ Card

Reed’s lawyer argued that his client was simply acting “in accordance with his mental illness.” That’s not a defense—that’s a confession. And it’s exactly why mentally ill violent offenders should NOT be released. The Left’s theory is, “This person is mentally unstable and unpredictable, therefore we should release him and hope for the best.” Conservatives call that what it is: negligence dressed up as compassion.

A Broken Justice System That Always Protects the Criminal—Never the Citizen

Chicago’s criminal-justice system didn’t fail by accident. It failed by design. It failed because judges prioritize ideology over safety. Because lawmakers write bills to “reform” instead of to protect. Because activists insist criminals are victims and victims are societal inconveniences. A young woman now lies in a burn unit because the system put its trust in a man with a demonstrated habit of setting things on fire. This isn’t compassion. This is malpractice.

The Human Cost: A Life Forever Changed Because Chicago Won’t Get Tough

A woman—someone’s daughter, sister, friend—is fighting for her life because the people who were supposed to protect her chose politics over protection. She didn’t get a say in whether Reed was released. She didn’t get to argue her case before a judge. She was simply placed in the path of someone Chicago knew could erupt in violence at any moment. This attack wasn’t random. It was predictable. And it was preventable.

Chicago’s Soft-On-Crime Obsession Isn’t Just a Policy Problem—It’s a Moral One

When a city repeatedly releases violent offenders in the name of “fairness,” it stops valuing innocent life. It stops valuing public safety. It stops valuing truth. A society that refuses to hold dangerous people accountable isn’t enlightened—it’s collapsing. And Chicago is collapsing faster than the very buildings Reed used to set on fire.

Until Judges Start Choosing Accountability Over Activism, This Will Keep Happening

There’s no “reform” strong enough to fix a system that refuses to see danger standing right in front of it. There’s no amount of electronic monitoring that can substitute for a jail cell. There’s no policy that can erase 72 arrests and magically produce a stable citizen. Chicago needs consequences, not excuses. Because the next victim might not survive.

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JIMMY**

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h/t: Steadfast and Loyal