A JUDGE has been forced to resign after he routinely dressed up as Elvis Presley and played the King of Rock and Roll’s greatest hits in court.
A disciplinary committee found that Matthew Thornhill would often don a pompadour wig, aviator shades and a robe during hearings to cosplay as Elvis.
The St. Charles County Circuit judge dressed up as the music icon for rulings around Halloween season, court documents state.
He was also accused of constantly slipping in irrelevant Elvis references during hearings and swearings-in.
In some cases, Thornhill even allowed those appearing in court to choose how they would be sworn in before testimony.
One option allowed litigants or witnesses to walk in to Elvis’ greatest hits, the docs revealed.
Thornhill would play the tunes over his phone, it added.
In other instances, the judge would mention details about Elvis in regards to the case with little to no actual reason to do so.
Court papers said: “[He] would refer to Elvis Presley during court proceedings, such as referring to Elvis Presley’s date of birth or death when such statements were irrelevant to the proceedings before the court.”
It was ultimately ruled that the rock-n-roll superfan “failed to maintain order and decorum in the courtroom,” according to the Missouri Commission on Retirement, Removal and Discipline.
When quizzed over the Elvis obsession, Thornhill said he hoped it would “add levity” and relax litigants during hearings.
During the investigation he admitted to understanding the serious nature of the court proceedings, court papers said.
It was also uncovered that Thornhill would often breach rules around political activity in a courtroom.
He was found to have mentioned his “preferred candidates” for an election to multiple people in court, according to FOX 2 Now.
The commission also found that Thornhill once hand-delivered a “personal reference” to a judge in a case involving the adoption of a child.
This broke a key rule that prohibits judges from appearing as character witnesses.
On November 12, Thornhill admitted to the allegations stating: “Those allegations are substantially accurate, and I acknowledge that the Commission would prove those violations.”
He agreed to a six-month unpaid suspension followed by a nonrevocable resignation.
Thornhill will then be banned from holding any future judicial offices in Missouri.
Thornhill was first elected as an Associate Circuit Judge in 2006 and served in that role for 18 years, according to the St. Charles County courts website.
He was only elected as a Circuit Judge just last year.
