Judge Thornhill’s burning love for all things Elvis is well-documented.
In an interview with a local media outlet last year, he said he had visited Graceland, where the singer lived and is buried, 13 times.
He added that Elvis was always on his mind since he was a child.
The disciplinary report also cites unrelated conduct, like sharing his political affiliation or preferred candidates in elections from the bench, as well as promoting his own election campaign by asking witnesses, lawyers and litigants if they had seen his “Thornhill for Judge” signs around town.
The commission found that Judge Thornhill had “failed to maintain order and decorum in the courtroom”, and recommended he be suspended without pay for six months, then serve for another 18 months before retiring.
In the 12 November letter, Judge Thornhill did not dispute any of the allegations, saying they are “substantially accurate” and acknowledged he had made a mistake.
He agreed to the terms set out by the commission, which allowed him to conclude his service on the bench and retire after 20 years.