Teresa Molina-Gonzalez faced scrutiny after allowing Lawrence Reed onto electronic monitoring months before prosecutors accused him of attacking Bethany MaGee.
CHICAGO, IL — Cook County Circuit Judge Teresa Molina-Gonzalez was on track to remain on the bench after Tuesday’s retention election, nearly a year after her pretrial release decision involving Lawrence Reed drew intense scrutiny following a violent attack on a CTA Blue Line train.
Preliminary results following the Nov. 3 election showed Cook County judges, including Molina-Gonzalez, clearing the 60% “yes” vote required for retention. The results had not yet been certified, and election officials were continuing to process outstanding ballots. Judicial retention elections do not pit judges against opponents. Instead, voters decide whether each sitting judge should remain in office for another term.
Molina-Gonzalez became the focus of public attention after an August 2025 hearing involving Reed, who was charged in Cook County with aggravated battery after allegedly attacking a social worker at MacNeal Hospital in Berwyn. Prosecutors sought to have Reed detained before trial, arguing he posed a danger to the public. Molina-Gonzalez rejected the detention request and ordered him released under electronic monitoring.
A transcript of the hearing reported by CWBChicago showed prosecutors warning that electronic monitoring might not protect the victim or the public from another sudden attack. Molina-Gonzalez told the prosecutor, “I can’t keep everybody in jail because the State’s Attorney wants me to.” Reed remained subject to court-imposed restrictions, and another judge later modified the hours during which he was allowed outside his residence.
On Nov. 17, 2025, federal prosecutors allege Reed approached 26-year-old Bethany MaGee aboard an O’Hare-bound Blue Line train in downtown Chicago, poured gasoline on her and set her on fire. Authorities said the two did not know each other and described the attack as unprovoked. MaGee escaped the train at Clark/Lake and was hospitalized with serious injuries. She was released from Stroger Hospital in February after months of treatment.
Federal authorities charged Reed with committing a terrorist attack or other violence against a mass transportation system, an offense that carries a maximum sentence of life in prison. He later pleaded not guilty to charges contained in an indictment that also accused him of setting a fire outside Chicago City Hall days before the train attack. Reed remains accused of the offenses, and the charges have not been proven at trial.
The case also raised questions about Cook County’s electronic monitoring system. Records reported after Reed’s arrest indicated he had violated monitoring restrictions multiple times before the Blue Line attack. The Office of the Chief Judge, which operated the monitoring program, said after the attack that it was reviewing procedures and considering whether additional safeguards were needed. The episode became part of a broader debate over how Illinois courts assess public-safety risks when deciding whether a defendant should be detained before trial.
Molina-Gonzalez’s record received mixed scrutiny from groups evaluating judges before the 2026 election. The Chicago Bar Association rated her qualified, while the Illinois State Bar Association recommended her for retention, saying attorneys described her as knowledgeable, level-headed and respectful. The Cook County Bar Association was among the groups that recommended against retaining her. Other local bar associations gave her favorable evaluations.
Molina-Gonzalez has served as a Cook County circuit judge since 2019 and was elected to a full term in 2020. She is assigned to the Fourth Municipal District in Maywood. Before joining the bench, she worked as a prosecutor and later served with the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation.
The retention results remained unofficial Thursday. Separately, Reed’s federal criminal case was still pending, with a competency evaluation having been ordered as the court considers whether he is mentally capable of standing trial. His next hearing was scheduled for Nov. 12.
Author note: Last updated November 5, 2026.