Joshua Scolman (PC: Fox 11 Online)
WARNING: Some people may find the details in the story disturbing.
GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – Courtroom outbursts during sentencing for a racist murder at a prison led to a judge leaving the bench twice before he sent Joshua Scolman to prison for life with no chance at parole.
Scolman, who is white, was convicted first-degree intentional homicide and attempted homicide with hate crime enhancers for attacks on two black inmates at the Green Bay Correctional Institution.
Timothy Nabors was killed in the Oct. 21, 2022 attack, while Lamonte Washington was injured. The jury rejected Scolman’s claim he suffered from a mental disease at the time.
Scolman, 40, is already scheduled to be in prison until 2058 as a result of a conviction for a drunken driving crash that killed three people in Milwaukee County in 2006.
At Monday’s hearing, Scolman’s comments disrupted the hearing to such an extent Judge Donald Zuidmulder left the bench twice.
As Tim Nabors Sr., the victim’s father, was addressing the judge, Scolman reacted, causing Nabor to reply with expletives. The judge left the bench to allow the courtroom to settle.
Later, Scolman said he didn’t suffer from a mental illness. He said he doesn’t have remorse. He said those are games that lawyers play in court. His next comments, reiterating his racial views, prompted the second delay.
“I don’t care. What do I care? Extermination of these parasites is all that I care about. And that’s it and that’s all. They are not human beings,” Scolman said.
At that point, relative of the victims got up and shouted back at Scolman. Judge Zuidmulder just walked off the bench while deputies restored order. After about three minutes, the judge urged people to calm dawn, and returned to the court.
The homicide conviction carries an automatic life prison term, but the judge had the option to set a date Scolman could first ask for parole. But the judge said Scolman will never be eligible for parole.
Judge Zuidmulder said some people have a “terrible dark side” which leads them to want to get rid of others different than themselves – and that’s what makes Scolman dangerous.
The judge said he is an instrument of the state’s version of justice, but “Justice is divine; there is a Day of Reckoning” to come.
The judge also imposed a 25-year sentence after the life sentence for the attempted homicide. Both will be served after his current sentence.
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