Judge allows inmate to meet his infant son for the first time

Updated
Judge Cries After Permitting Inmate To Meet His One-Month-Old Baby In Courtroom
Judge Cries After Permitting Inmate To Meet His One-Month-Old Baby In Courtroom

Recently Judge Amber Wolf made headlines when she stepped in to help a defendant who had reportedly not been given a uniform while in jail for a week. The Kentucky judge has gone viral again for another act of kindness after she made an exception to allow an inmate to see his 1-month-old son for the first time.

James and Ashley Roeder were charged as co-defendants in a burglary and were under a no-contact order by Judge Wolf. The judge was finishing up James' hearing and about to begin a hearing for his wife, Ashley, when she noticed their 30-day-old baby.

"I saw her try to hold the baby up when he came out for his case to be called with his attorney," Judge 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 judge asked Ashley Roeder if she would like James to finally meet the baby and she said yes.

"I know you have a no-contact order between you and Mrs. Roeder that I issued -- and I am not changing that," Judge Wolf said. "I'm making a temporary exception right in front of me, on the record, so that you can meet this baby. This is your son."

Both mother and father wiped away tears from their eyes after he handed the baby back.

"If you all aren't teared up, then you're just heartless," Judge Wolf said after the Roeders exited.

Judge Wolf describes the moment as, "probably one of the best things I've ever done."

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