Courtrooms are typically filled with intense emotions such as anxiety, rage, and sadness.
Still, it’s not that common when everyone – including the judge – cries because of the defendant.
A rare sight happened when Judge Amber Wolf from Jefferson County, Kentucky, ordered both of the defendants back into the courtroom.
Captured in the video, this emotional moment went viral everywhere.
It first started when Judge Wolf brought James Roeder, one of the defendants in the burglary case, back into the courtroom.
James and his 25-year-old wife, Ashley, were arrested for allegedly stealing six TVS from a warehouse. Therefore, the judge had previously prohibited James from contacting his wife.
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When James walked back into the courtroom, Judge Wolf tells him to say nothing about his case.
“I don’t want you to say anything about your case at all. Don’t say anything. Your lawyer is not present right now. But I understand that there is a chance that you’re going to go back to Todd County, and your baby is a month old, and you haven’t met that baby yet. Is that right?” asked Judge Wolf.
In the video, James nods slightly, and replies: “Yes, ma’am.”
Judge Wolf then explains that she had actually called him back to court so that he could meet his 30-day-old son for the first time.
She knew that James didn’t have a chance to meet his baby boy, because of the no-contact that she had issued.
“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.”
When Ashley hands the baby to her husband, James carefully holds the baby boy and kisses him several times.
“Do you see his little shirt?” asks Judge Wolf.
Then James replies, “Yeah.. yeah.”
In the video, both Ashley and James seems to be crying – and Judge Wolf as well.
She passes a box of tissues to the couple who’s holding the baby.
When James finally was led out of the courtroom, Judge Wolf thanked Ashley for letting her be a part of such emotional moment.point 104 |
She also tells people in the courtroom – “if you aren’t teared up, then you’re just heartless.point 206 |
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Not surprisingly, everyone who watched this video was fascinated by Judge Wolf’s compassionate gesture.point 103 |
In the interview with WDRB, Judge Wolf stated that her decision to let James meet his baby was “probably one of the best things I’ve ever done.point 347 |
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She also said that “It wasn’t really a judge thing. I think it was just more of a human thing.”
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