John Milton Scott (August 1, 1824 – January 21, 1898) was an American attorney, judge, politician and philanthropist from Illinois.

His most notable decision may have been Ker v. Illinois, upholding the conviction of a thief kidnapped by the Pinkerton Detective Agency after fleeing to Peru.

In 1887 he wrote the opinion upholding several of the convictions of anarchists in the Haymarket Affair, which was also upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court, despite ongoing public and historical controversy concerning the trial judge and police (with many allegations of fabricated evidence).

Judge Scott also wrote a dissent in Dimick v. Chicago and Northwestern Railroad, 96 Ill. 49 (1880), disagreeing with the court's other justices followed a recent decision of the Indiana Supreme Court and allowed the railroad a new trial in a case involving a farmer killed by a no-whistle train at an unguarded and brush-obstructed road crossing on his farm.

Judge Scott enjoyed reading in his free time and owned a large collection of books.

He also wrote two books, and helped found the McLean County Historical Society in 1892 (and remained its president until his death).