U.S. judge resigns after wearing Elvis wig in court

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A judge in the United States has stepped down after acknowledging he behaved inappropriately in court. He admitted to wearing an Elvis wig and playing Elvis music during trials, which disrupted order and proper courtroom conduct.

Matthew Thornhill, a judge in St. Charles County, Missouri, explained his decisions in a letter to the court.

He acknowledged the comments might disrupt the seriousness of the legal process, but explained he hoped to use humor to ease tension for those involved.

Judge disciplined on two other counts

Thornhill faced two additional complaints about his behavior. One concerned him expressing political opinions while serving as a judge, which the commission stated broke the rules requiring judges to be unbiased.

I was really surprised to hear about the other issue – apparently, he wrote a letter of support for someone involved in an adoption. It turns out judges aren’t supposed to do that – they can’t act as a character witness when they’re already involved in the case. It’s considered a conflict of interest, and honestly, it just doesn’t look right.

An image of Matthew Thornhill wearing an Elvis-style wig included in documents filed in the State of Missouri’s Commission on Retirement, Removal and Discipline of Judges.

Earlier this year, the Missouri Commission on Retirement, Removal and Discipline began investigating concerns about Thornhill’s behavior. Ultimately, they reached an agreement where Thornhill chose to resign instead of going through a formal disciplinary process.

As part of a disciplinary agreement, Judge Thornhill will be suspended without pay for six months. After that, he’ll return to the bench for 18 months before resigning. This agreement permanently prevents him from holding any judicial position in Missouri in the future.

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2025-11-22 19:48