Judge's Unusual Conduct Leads to Early Exit
A judge from Missouri has consented to a deal that will prematurely end his judicial career after a disciplinary panel investigated his habit of wearing an Elvis Presley wig and playing the King's music during official court proceedings.
Judge Matthew Thornhill, who served in a suburban St. Louis court, has reached an agreement with the state's Commission on Retirement, Removal and Discipline. The deal, which is pending approval from the Missouri Supreme Court, mandates a six-month unpaid suspension. Following this, he will serve for a further 18 months before resigning from the St. Charles County Circuit Court.
The King of Rock 'n' Roll in the Courtroom
The commission's findings highlighted Judge Thornhill's peculiar affinity for Elvis Presley. The court file contained numerous photographs of the judge on the bench, or posing with staff members, while wearing a plastic Elvis wig and sunglasses.
According to the official report, this was not an isolated incident. Thornhill routinely wore the wig around Halloween and would offer people a choice on how they wished to be sworn in before giving testimony. One of these options involved him playing Elvis's music directly from his mobile phone. Records also show he would sometimes play the songs as he entered the courtroom.
The commission stated that the judge would occasionally mention Elvis lyrics or the singer's birth and death dates during cases, even when it was completely irrelevant. These actions were found to violate judicial rules that require a judge to maintain order and decorum and promote public confidence in the judiciary's integrity.
Additional Misconduct and Previous Reprimand
Beyond the Elvis-themed antics, the disciplinary board also faulted Thornhill for discussing politics from the bench. Court documents revealed he would mention his political affiliation, preferred election candidates, and the placement of his Thornhill for Judge campaign signs during court business.
On one occasion, he asked an individual in court if the labour union they worked for had warmed up to Thornhill for judge. The judge acknowledged that these informal conversations about his campaign were a mistake, though he insisted they never influenced his legal decisions.
Furthermore, Thornhill was criticised for providing a character letter in an adoption case, which the commission deemed an abuse of his powerful position. He agreed this was improper.
This is not the first time Judge Thornhill has faced disciplinary action. In 2008, he was reprimanded and fined $750 following an incident where, as a prosecutor, he reduced charges against a woman who offered him a baseball signed by a famous American football quarterback. Thornhill denied accepting the ball, which was later revealed to be a forgery.
The agreement reached last month awaits a final decision from the state's highest court, bringing a controversial chapter in the St. Charles County Circuit Court to a close.
