A Clayton County judge ordered the state Department of Corrections Wednesday to turn over records tied to the probation sentence of a former Clayton County schools security chief who pleaded guilty to bribery.
Superior Court Judge Matthew O. Simmons told assistant attorney General Mindy Park, who represents the corrections department, he wanted documents detailing John Taylor Walker Jr.’s early release from probation in his office within a week. Probation is a division of the Department of Corrections.
The order was handed down at a Wednesday hearing in which Walker’s attorney, Wayne Kendall, asked the court to allow his client access to records that show Judge Simmons signed off in the summer of 2013 to end Walker’s probation early.
In 2011, Simmons sentenced Walker to five years’ probation and to pay a $750 fine after Walker pleaded guilty to charges of trying to bribe a magistrate judge by offering her a campaign contribution in November 2009. He was accused of trying to influence her decision in the selection of a vendor for the county’s Superior, State and Magistrate courts. At the time, Walker was acting as a government affairs liason for a security firm bidding for the contract in addition to working for the school system. Walker left his job as the school district’s top security official shortly after he was sentenced.
“I have no recollection if I did or did not sign the order (for probation revocation),” Judge Simmons said during Wednesday’s hearing.
Walker was arrested again in May on alleged tax evasion, a new set of charges. Shortly after, Walker was arrested for violating his probation.
In July, Walker’s attorney subpoened probation officials to get access to Walker’s probation files to show that Simmons had ended Walker’s probation early in summer of 2013, meaning he could not have violated his probation.
Probation officials in Morrow denied him access to the records, arguing they’re confidential, Kendall said. But Kendall contends the documents are public record and are needed as evidence in Walker’s probation revocation hearing set for Sept. 5. If Walker’s probation is revoked, he could be facing more than 16 years in prison.
“We believe the petition (to end Walker’s probation) went through. It was signed by Judge Simmons to allow for Walker’s probation to end. We believe the probation was terminated. They have the documents to prove it was terminated,” Kendall told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “The probation termination was ordered before the new charges were brought (against Walker).”
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