Cook County Circuit Judge Marc W. Martin could have sent the woman standing in front of him to jail. She had been convicted of retail theft. She had a previous criminal record. But he weighed her circumstances, namely that she had an autistic child who saw her get arrested. The father of a young autistic boy, Martin can relate to the problems caused by disrupting his son’s routine. The mother, who had stolen children’s clothing, was remorseful. So this month, Martin sentenced her to probation with …