Molina-Gonzalez Retained Despite CTA Fire Case

Judge Teresa Molina-Gonzalez will serve another six years on the Cook County bench after voters chose to retain her on Tuesday. The election result places the judge in charge of the circuit court for the next half-decade, a decision made despite public scrutiny over her handling of a high-profile case involving a train arson.

The controversy centers on the judge's decision to release Anthony Reed with an ankle monitor. Reed, who has been arrested more than 70 times, was accused of setting Bethany MaGee on fire on a CTA Blue Line train last year. Sources indicate that MaGee sustained burns on more than half of her body during the incident.

MaGee issued her first public statement following the vote. In a statement, she said, "I hope the women of Chicago will be kept safe from attacks by repeat offenders." Her family confirmed that she is progressing slowly but steadily in her recovery.

Another victim, Amy Eck, said Reed punched her in the face in 2021 outside a Loop office building. Eck criticized the retention result, noting that the case against Reed was dropped after prosecutors recommended treatment. "I do think that there should be more education on who we are all voting for because there are all these judges," Eck said.

University of Chicago political science professor John Mark Hansen described the vote as a low information election. He noted that most Cook County voters have little incentive to research individual judges and often leave the ballot blank. Hansen said he follows bar association recommendations and votes against judges not deemed qualified.

The Chicago Bar Association rated Molina-Gonzalez as qualified for retention. The association reported that 75,000 people, or about 10% of Cook County voters, used its website to check recommendations this election cycle. In a statement, the association said, "A judge's ruling in a particular case can certainly be part of the public discussion, but one decision, or media coverage of that decision, does not necessarily provide a complete picture of a judge's qualifications to serve."