NATCHEZ — The Mississippi Supreme Court on Thursday ordered a $2,000 fine and public reprimand for an Adams County Justice Court judge.

Judge Charles Vess was accused by the Mississippi Commission on Judicial Performance of engaging in improper communications and failing to be dignified and courteous to litigants.

The commission said Vess had communications outside the courtroom with people involved in a criminal case.

In October 2007, Vess set aside a guilty verdict against Glennese Scott for disturbing the peace and instead ordered her to attend five hours of anger management and have one year good behavior.

Following that decision, Vess and Scott had two conversations outside the courtroom, one in which Vess admitted he lost his temper, and the other in which he drafted a hand-written note to Scott’s employer about the outcome of her case.

Vess was also accused of ordering payments of criminal restitution and contempt based upon an incomplete order.

That order — issued at the time of Scott’s 2007 case — was based from a 1997 simple assault case against Scott, in which she had been ordered to pay restitution, but the amount had never been set, leaving the order incomplete.

Vess said Thursday he was glad to see the matter come to a close.

“I never denied that I did lose my temper with this individual,” he said. “The main thing is I am glad it is finally over. It started in October 2007 and has taken a long time to come to a finish.”

The incomplete order for criminal restitution was caused by a clerical error, Vess said.

“Like the captain of a ship, I will take responsibilty for any errors that happen in justice court,” he said.

The judge said he will pay his fine and continue with his duties.

“Since (the) complaint in 2007, I have probably handled 3,000 to 5,000 cases without incident,” Vess said.

The Associated Press contributed to this article.