Why the apology?

A District Court Judge had to apologize for hurting a prisoner’s feelings after throwing a “return to custody” party complete with balloons, streamers cake and ice cream. The prisoner, Billy Wayne Williams, discovered he had been sentenced, in absentia, to life in prison. So he got his feelings hurt, big whoop! The article didn’t mention whether or not the county or the judge paid for the shindig; how would that get logged, “office expense" or "entertainment expense"? Why the apology, did the judge do something wrong?