Tesla CEO Elon Musk (Photo credit: AP)
Tesla CEO Elon Musk took to X on Monday to express his frustration over judges who allow career criminals to roam free. In his post, he wrote: “It is incredibly cruel of so many judges to push murderous thugs on the innocent public! And double shame on anyone who funds them to do so.” The comments come in the wake of a violent attack on a Chicago Blue Line train this week, when a woman was set on fire by a man with an extensive criminal history.
In addition to his X post, Musk commented on a thread by Andrew Convet, criticising Cook County Judge Teresa Molina-Gonzalez over her decision in an earlier case. He called her “incompetent” and said she “must be fired” for releasing the defendant despite a long criminal record that included 49 prior arrests.The case dates back to August 22, when Judge Molina-Gonzalez released Lawrence Reed on an ankle monitor following a felony aggravated battery charge. During the hearing, the judge said: “I can’t keep everybody in jail because the State’s Attorney wants me to.” Prosecutor Jerrilyn Gumila warned that electronic monitoring would be insufficient to protect the community. Reed had previously assaulted a social worker inside the locked psychiatric ward at MacNeal Hospital on August 19, striking her in the face and causing her to lose consciousness, reported CWB Chicago. The victim sustained a corneal abrasion, possible optic nerve bruising, a concussion, a chipped tooth, and ongoing memory and balance issues. Gumila noted Reed’s prior convictions, including a 2020 arson and multiple other felonies and misdemeanours, arguing he posed a “real and present threat” to both the victim and the community, CWB Chicago reported.Reed’s public defender said the assault was linked to his mental illness and argued that incarceration was not the appropriate response. Judge Molina-Gonzalez ultimately decided that detention was not the only way to protect the public and released Reed with electronic monitoring.
