Barry Pinkus is a good man and a good judge. It is beyond sad that he finds himself in the crosshairs of public opinion over the unfortunate death of the baby recently thrown from the Arrigoni Bridge in Middletown. He did nothing wrong.

The facts of the case don't appear to be in dispute. Two child-parents found, as many do, that taking care of a baby added untold strain to an already fragile and dysfunctional relationship. The baby's daddy apparently resented the limitation on his freedom that fatherhood presented and said some things that led mom to seek a civil protective order. Though the order was granted ex parte in the first instance, when pressed for actual evidence that the father posed a threat to her or her baby, the mother fell far short of the statutory mark.

Pinkus did just what he was supposed to do. He scolded both of them, and ordered them to visit with family relations and hammer out a visitation plan. They did, and it appeared that the storm had passed. A few days later, the father killed the child and attempted suicide. Sadly, he lived while the child died. Now a host of talking heads and other commentators have condemned the judge for not entering the order.