Is Scott Walker going to jail? What judge decided at sentencing
Scott Walker has escaped jail for now, but if he curses again in the courtroom of Chancery Court Judge Neil Harris, Walker will serve 30 days behind bars.
Harris on Friday sentenced Walker to the maximum 30 days in jail for criminal contempt, then suspended the sentence. The judge put Walker on probation for one year. If Walker violates his probation by cursing in court, he will serve the time, Harris said.
Harris also fined Walker the maximum $100 for criminal contempt and charged him thousands in court costs for using an expletive during an earlier hearing involving his parents.
Harris is overseeing the guardianship of Scott Walker’s parents, Bill and Sharon, also of Ocean Springs.
A federal judge ordered Bill Walker placed under a court-ordered guardianship after finding that Scott Walker was mismanaging his parents’ money. Father and son were convicted in 2014 of defrauding the government while Bill Walker worked as executive director of the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources.
Harris is trying to get the elderly couple’s budget in hand so that Bill Walker can resume paying $572,000 in restitution.
Before Harris sentenced Scott Walker, he heard testimony from court-appointed advisor Heather Wagner, an attorney who specializes in domestic abuse cases. Wagner examined the health and finances of Scott Walker and his family life with wife Trinity and three sons.
She recommended a suspended sentence of 48 hours or, in the alternative, that Scott Walker serve the time on the weekend. She said the Walkers’ finances are strained and putting Scott Walker in jail would create daycare expenses.
“It does appear their expenditures outweigh their income at this point,” Wagner said.
Wagner also noted that Walker, an only child, spends a good bit of time taking care of his parents.
Harris took a five-minute break after her testimony, then returned with his decision.
“Mr. Walker,” he said, “Your conduct was offensive to the court and everyone in it.”
Scott Walker apologized — not for the first time — and said he will never use foul language in court again.
The judge also had some advice for Walker. Harris approves any money Bill and Sharon Walker are allowed to spend. He said they could buy one of their grandsons a bike for his birthday.
Trinity Walker posted pictures from the boy’s birthday party with “movie night” theme on Facebook. In one, the elder Walkers and their grandson posed with his new bike.
“I saw that picture,” Harris said. “People send me stuff. Stay off Facebook.”
