Scott Walker won’t go to jail, at least today: ‘I’d like to apologize again,’ he says
Chancery Court Judge Neil Harris has appointed a guardian ad litem, or court investigator, to examine Scott Walker and his health before he is sentenced on a criminal contempt charge.
Harris had initially sentenced Walker to 30 days in jail and a $100 fine during a guardianship hearing Tuesday involving his parents. But the judge chose to take a different tack when Walker arrived Wednesday morning, wondering if he would be going to jail.
Walker and wife Trinity sat in court for an hour before Harris called up his case and ordered him to take the stand.
The judge said that he was appointing a guardian ad litem, or investigator and advisor to the court, to the case.
Harris appointed attorney Heather Wagner, an expert on domestic abuse who worked for the state attorney general’s office before retiring.
She will make recommendations to Harris before he reconvenes court March 17 to sentence Walker on the criminal contempt charge.
Harris said Wagner will look into Walker’s responsibilities to keep his three boys while his wife works, his financial situation and his health. Walker also cares for his elderly parents.
The criminal contempt charge against him came during a guardianship hearing involving his parents, who are now wards of the court. Harris is presiding over their guardianship case.
Harris was out of the courtroom Tuesday when Scott Walker swore at one of the co-guardians appointed to oversee the finances of Walker’s parents, Bill and Sharon Walker.
But Harris said Wednesday that he had been crossing the threshold from the courtroom to his chambers when he heard Walker use God’s name in vain.
Walker had been testifying about his request to be reimbursed from his parents’ trust account for around $97,000 in business and personal expenses.
In court Wednesday, the judge repeated what Walker had said to the co-guardian: “Just pay the (expletive) receipt. You are taking $25,000 of my parents money.”
Walker was referring to guardianship fees charged by the co-guardian, attorney Matthew Pavlov.
Scott Walker apologizes to judge
A federal judge ordered Bill Walker placed under court-ordered guardianship after finding that Scott Walker had been mismanaging his parents’ money. Father and son were convicted in 2014 of defrauding the federal government while Bill Walker worked as executive director of the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources.
Bill Walker must repay a total of $572,689 in restitution. He stopped making the payments on Scott Walker’s watch.
Harris is trying to keep payments on track while assuring that the Walkers, who receive around $250,000 a year in retirement income but are deeply in debt, have enough money to live on and pay their bills.
Their income now goes in a trust managed by two court-appointed guardians. Harris is supposed to approve any expenses in advance.
Walker and his wife waited an hour for their case to be called — and to find out if he would be going to jail.
Harris told Walker to get on the witness stand. Walker took the stand without a word.
Harris then told him, “I’m not going to put you in jail today, although I should, you deserve it.”
He said that he would wait for Wagner’s report before deciding the sentence.
Walker apologized, as he did Tuesday, for swearing in the courtroom: “I’d like to apologize again, your honor. It was beneath me and it was beneath this court. I never would have said it with you in the room.”
Harris said: “Mr. Walker, I am sorry that you find yourself in this difficulty. This is of your own doing.”
Judge approves Bill Walker expenses
Harris said the guardian ad litem will be paid $250 an hour for her work, with a $2,500 check to come out of Bill Walker’s trust account.
Scott Walker must reimburse the fees within 30 days or face a civil contempt charge.
The judge also approved other expenses for Bill Walker that Scott Walker testified about Tuesday. Harris has warned that no money is to be spent on the elder Walkers’ behalf without his prior approval.
Bill Walker will receive a $139 pair of tennis shoes to replace a pair that is worn through to his foot, and $182 will go to Target so the Walkers can give one of Scott’s sons a bicycle for his seventh birthday this weekend.
Scott Walker and his wife had been worried he would spend the child’s birthday in jail.
This story was originally published February 17, 2021 at 11:07 AM.
