Cook County Judge Ralph E. Meczyk, the judge who issued a September order allowing CTA "burn bitch" attacker Lawrence Reed, previously arrested 49 times, to leave his home, is himself a convicted felon who served federal prison time in the 1980s.

Meczyk, appointed to the Cook County bench last year, pled guilty to income tax fraud-- cashing bond refund checks sent out by the Cook County Circuit Clerk's office, but not reporting the income-- in 1987.

Meczyk, then age 36, and his law partner admitted they collected $35,800-- $141,000 in today's dollars-- but paid no tax on it.

In September, Meczyk "modified Reed's electronic monitoring order to allow him out of his home during some daytime hours on Tuesdays, Saturdays and Sundays," CWB Chicago reported.

On Monday evening, Reed, 50, poure

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