A Missouri judge who often wore Elvis Presley wigs in his courtroom and played the late rock star’s music has agreed to step down from the bench.
Judge Matthew Thornhill said he wanted to “add levity at times when I thought it would help relax litigants” but also recognized “that this could affect the integrity and solemnity of the proceedings.”
Thornhill, who serves in St. Louis, agreed to take a six-month unpaid leave before returning to the bench for 18 months, then resigning early after reaching a deal with a state board that will help him avoid a disciplinary hearing.
The state’s Commission on Retirement, Removal and Discipline mentioned Thornhill’s predilection to dress like the king of rock ‘n’ roll, including photos of him dressed in a wig and sunglasses with staff in its report.
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The report also mentions Thornhill bringing up politics while on the bench, including mentioning his party affiliation and which candidates he prefers.
It says Thornhill regularly wore the wig around Halloween, sometimes walked into the courtroom while playing Elvis’ music and sometimes offered litigants the option to be sworn in while he played his music on his phone.
He would also allegedly make random references to Elvis during court proceedings at times.
The commission found his Elvis antics violated rules of “order and decorum” while in the courtroom.
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The agreement is pending before the Missouri Supreme Court, which has accepted 35 character references for Thornhill.
Thornhill was elected associate circuit judge in 2006, and he served for 18 years. In 2024, he was elected circuit judge in Division 4 and is the longest serving judge in the county, according to the St. Charles County Circuit Court website.
He’s presided over 25 jury trials and thousands of bench trials during his career.
His biography adds that he “loves Elvis, surfing, gardening, watching soccer, golfing with his children, and running with his dog on the Katy Trail.”
Thornhill was also reprimanded and fined $750 in 2008 after he reduced charges for a woman after she offered him a baseball signed by Pro Football Hall of Famer Terry Bradshaw that turned out to be fake, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
He denies taking the ball.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
