Was the Judge a coward?

Judge Pat Murdoch a district court judge in Albuquerque, NM reversed his decision of a two year jail term for an ex-marine. Elton John Richard a former marine who served 2 tours in Iraq. Richard killed a person trying to break into his SUV. The person he killed was a named Daniel Romero. When Richard discovered Romero, Romero ran away. Richard chased him � of a mile. As Romero was attempting to jump over a chain link fence, Richard, the brave and noble marine, shot him in the back. Some members of the public felt sorry for the marine b/c he served an Iraq and demanded his release. The Governor also threatened to pardon Richard. So, today, Judge Murdoch reversed his decision. So, was the judge a coward? Was he right to reverse his decision? Should ex military persons be allowed to kill b/c they served their country?