The Office of the Chief Judge responded Tuesday night to the use of electronic monitoring following the attack on the CTA Blue Line last week, when a woman on the train was set on fire.

Lawrence Reed, 50, was charged in a criminal complaint with committing a terrorist attack or other violence on a mass transportation system — a federal offense rather than a state offense. He is accused of setting the woman on fire in an unprovoked attack.

At the time of the attack, Reed was on electronic monitoring after a Cook County judge declined to hold him in jail on an aggravated battery charge stemming from accusations that he hit a social worker at MacNeal Hospital Psychiatry and Behavioral Health in west suburban Berwyn. 

"Because the case involving Lawrence Reed is now pending in federal court, we are prohibited under the Illinois Supreme Court Code of Judicial Conduct from commenting on its specific facts," the office said. "These rules protect judicial integrity and prevent any appearance of bias. We can, however, outline the legal standards and procedures that guide judicial decision-making in all pretrial matters."

The office said the threshold for denying pretrial release is intentionally high in Illinois under the Pretrial Fairness Act, where the state must prove, by clear and convincing evidence, not by allegations alone, that no condition or combination of conditions can reasonably ensure a defendant's appearance in court or protect the public.

In terms of how electronic monitoring works, the office said it is designed to support accountability and provide location and compliance data, and is not meant to replace law enforcement. It was noted that electronic monitoring, after being discontinued by the Sheriff's Office, shifted from a home detention model to a compliance-based model.

Law enforcement may only be involved if a clear, articulable threat to public safety is present, including cutting off a device or entering a prohibited area.

The office said it is reviewing all actions taken in the case to make sure that procedures were followed and to help identify areas for improvement.

"One immediate change under consideration is reinstating the practice of reporting escalated EM alerts to the State's Attorney's Office. That process was previously paused, following concerns raised by the State's Attorney's Office regarding the volume of alerts. In the interest of public safety, we believe it is necessary to re-evaluate this process.  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. The Office of the Chief Judge remains committed to fairness, accountability and the highest standards of public trust."