Scott Walker apologizes for comments made in court, avoids jail time for now

OCEAN SPRINGS, Miss. (WLOX) - Scott Walker appeared again in court Wednesday morning, apologizing for comments he reportedly made the day before. Those comments prompted Jackson County Chancery Court Judge Neil Harris on Tuesday to threaten Walker with 30 days of jail time for being in contempt.

Judge Harris started the hearing on Wednesday by recounting what unfolded the previous day during a hearing regarding the conservatorship of Walker’s parents Drs. Bill and Sharon Walker.

Harris said Scott Walker made comments to attorney Matthew Pavlov, who represents the guardianship for Bill and Sharon Walker, that were disrespectful to the court. Harris repeated Scott Walker’s comment, saying Scott told Pavlov to “just pay the g*****n receipt. You’re taking $25,000 of my parents’ money.”

After launching into an explanation of what merits contempt of court, Harris found Scott Walker to be in direct criminal contempt. He did not sentence him on Wednesday, though, saying, “I’m not going to put in jail, though I should. You deserve it.”

During the hearing, Scott Walker was also given the chance to speak on his own behalf.

“I apologize. [My behavior] was beneath me and beneath the court,” he said. “I take full responsibility for my actions.”

He went on to say that he would never have said any of it if he’d known the judge was in the courtroom. To that, Harris replied, “I’m sorry you find yourself in this difficulty; it is of your own doing.”

The judge deferred sentencing to March 17.

On Wednesday afternoon, Scott Walker told WLOX that he didn’t do anything to deserve jail time.

“I certainly didn’t do anything to deserve one night in jail much less 30 nights in jail,” he said.

Tuesday’s court appearance was supposed to focus on legal entanglements involving his parents’ finances. Scott Walker said he was summoned to attend the hearing to be put on the stand and answer some financial questions.

“I was advocating for my parents,” he said, adding that the initial conversations on the stand were “over $1,700 worth of receipts.”

During Wednesday’s hearing, Judge Harris also threatened to hold Scott Walker in civil contempt of court - which is a different charge than criminal contempt - if he did not reimburse fees for the guardian ad litem that was appointed.

Harris appointed Heather Wagner, a retired attorney with the Mississippi Attorney’s Office, for that position, and ordered she be paid $250 per hour for her services, which is a standard fee. The judge approved the funds to be taken from the conservatorship account for the elder Walkers but warned Scott Walker that he has 30 days to pay it back or else he will be held in contempt. Harris also ordered Wagner to report back to the court with respect to Scott Walker’s daily responsibilities to his children, parents, and his overall health.

Both Bill Walker and Scott Walker each previously served time in federal prison after pleading guilty to charges related to corruption at the Department of Marine Resources when Bill Walker was the director of the agency.

Last fall, Bill Walker almost landed back in prison after missing restitution payments to the government.

At that time, a federal judge stripped Scott Walker of control of his parents’ spending, which included buying expensive cars, trips and dining instead of paying back the government.

Conservators are now overseeing the Walkers’ finances.