Judge allows father to meet newborn son for the first time in court

'It wasn't really a judge thing. I think it was just more of a human thing.'

A Kentucky man charged with burglary met his one-month-old son for the first time while in court, thank to the judge presiding over his case.

James and Ashley Roeder are co-defendants charged in a February burglary case in Louisville. Judge Amber Wolf had issued a no-contact order for the couple, but upon realising Mr Roeder had yet to meet his newborn son, she made a temporary exception to facilitate the introduction.

“I saw her try to hold the baby up when he came out for his case to be called with his attorney,” Ms Wolf told WDRB. “And I thought that he hadn’t seen that. And it occurred to me after we finished this case that he had not met his baby – who was 30 days old – and that he was not going to get an opportunity to meet his baby anytime in the near future.”

The Roeders were taken into custody on 20 May and are accused of breaking into a warehouse and stealing six flat screen television, according to police documents. They were ordered not to have contact ahead of their trial.

In the court video, Mr Roeder kisses his son immediately upon holding him, and the couple can be seen wiping away their tears as the judge observes.

For her part, Ms Wolf said it was “one of the best things I have ever done”.

She added: “It wasn't really a judge thing. I think it was just more of a human thing. He hadn’t met his baby. And I could see that his wife wanted him to see the baby. And I know from previous interactions from Mr Roeder that he had been very concerned about being able to meet his baby prior to it being born. And I just saw an opportunity that I didn't want to squander.”

Total Adult Incarcerated Population in the United States | Graphiq

According to the National Resource Centre on Children and Families of the Incarcerated at Rutgers University, some 2.7 million children in the US (or 1 in 28) have a parent who is prison. The report adds parental incarceration is now categorised as "adverse childhood experience", but stands out from other ACEs because it includes a "unique combination of trauma, shame, and stigma".

Judge Amber Wolf recently made headlines after a video emerged showing her scathing indictment of the local prison system, after a woman was brought to the courtroom without pants.

“I have a defendant who has been in your jail for three days who is standing in front of me completely pantsless.” Ms Wolf said in the video. “What the hell is going on? This cannot happen.”

Prosecutors recommended the woman serve 75 days jail time for failure to complete a diversion program for a 2014 shoplifting charge. But upon seeing the conditions under which she had been held, Ms Wolf reduced her sentence to time served and added a $100 credit to the fine that had been issued.