Good for Jack Merritt.

By putting his foot down, the Greene County sheriff took the proper stance on a potentially expensive jail problem.

He refused to jail on minor charges a woman ready to give birth any day now.

Although some might argue his actions nearly rose to contempt of court, we see only pragmatism and common sense.

Jail overcrowding and all the tangential issues involving guard safety and fairness to inmates -- especially those not yet convicted of anything -- is not going to ease up anytime soon.

We need a sheriff willing to point out illogical incarceration orders like this one and to be willing to take a bit of a rap on the knuckles from a judge or two along the way.

We encourage sheriff-elect Jim Arnott to take note of this case and how it played out, and to continue to speak out for reasonableness regarding the jail.

What triggered Merritt's civil disobedience were two separate orders Friday and Monday from Springfield Municipal Court Judge Todd Thornhill that would have incarcerated a 32-year-old Springfield woman who is more than eight months pregnant.

By mandating her to jail until her next court appearance, the judge essentially decreed her behind bars until the baby was born. That would have created risk for the jail prior to the birth and a hefty bill to the city for prenatal care, the birth and any follow-up treatment.

The sheriff was not only concerned about those costs but also the stigma attached to a baby born to a jailed mom. So, he simply said "No."

He had the right, he says, because the law permits a jailer to refuse someone who is medically at risk. Of course, that usually applies to a defendant bloodied in a crash, injured in a fight or endangered from drink or drugs.

To his credit, the sheriff pushed the envelope. And the judge, and city prosecutor, got the message.

Acquiescing, city Prosecutor Johnnie Burgess requested that the judge lower the woman's bond. Thornhill allowed release on her own recognizance and has declined to discuss much about the case.

Obviously, this is not the best way to resolve such matters.

But it's becoming more apparent the sheriff needs to show recalcitrance to properly live up to his oath to run the jail safely.

By explaining the situation publicly, Merritt provided an important example of some of the pressures and problems encountered nearly every day in the courts and jail.

To be fair, this defendant was not unknown to the court system. The charge she faced this particular time around was failure to appear on charges of trespassing, stealing, and careless and imprudent driving, but she had ignored orders to appear in court in the past.

Thornhill certainly had every right to agree with the prosecutor's request to order this woman to jail. But, as Merritt has underscored by standing firm on this one, the judge also had every right not to.