Missouri Judge With Elvis Obsession Steps Down

A Missouri judge who wore an Elvis Presley wig in his courtroom and played the singer's music from his phone during court proceedings has agreed to a deal that would cut his career on the bench short. Suburban St. Louis Judge Matthew Thornhill faces a six-month unpaid suspension under the deal he reached with a state board to avoid a disciplinary hearing. After the suspension, he'll serve 18 more months on the bench before resigning from the St. Charles County Circuit Court, per the AP. The agreement, reached last month, is pending before the Missouri Supreme Court, a spokeswoman said Friday.

The court agreed Thursday to accept 35 letters in support of Thornhill's character. Thornhill wrote that he intended "to add levity at times when I thought it would help relax litigants." But, he added, "I now recognize that this could affect the integrity and solemnity of the proceedings." Online court records don't indicate who filed the complaint that triggered the discipline. Thornhill's attorney didn't immediately return a phone message from the AP on Friday.

While the Commission on Retirement, Removal, and Discipline also faulted Thornhill for talking about politics from the bench, it highlighted his affinity for the "King of Rock 'n' Roll" first. The court file is sprinkled with photos of Thornhill on the bench or posing with staff in a plastic Elvis wig and sunglasses. According to the commission, Thornhill routinely wore the wig in the courtroom around Halloween and would offer people options on how they wanted to be sworn in before testifying, including an option where he played Elvis' music from his phone. Thornhill also sometimes played the songs while entering the courtroom, court records show.

The board also said Thornhill sometimes mentioned Elvis lyrics or the singer's date of birth or death during court, even though it wasn't relevant. All the Elvis references violated rules requiring a judge to maintain "order and decorum" and "promote confidence in the integrity of the judiciary," the commission found. Thornhill is the longest-serving judge in St. Charles County and a former assistant prosecutor there, per a biography posted on the court website. He was elected an associate circuit judge in 2006 and a circuit judge in 2024. His primary assignment is family court. More here on past incidents involving Thornhill.