FIRE HIM NOW! We don’t need any judges making deal with people breaking the law. Who was the bad one, him or the one forging checks. It was just a slap on the hand.

Once I went to a traffic lawer for a speeding ticket and at the time I had Elvis checks. The lawer said the judge might be lienant cause he is an elvis fan if I void a check and give it to him. It worked, charges dropped!
You can’t take all discression away from prosecutors/judges, otherwise like the mandatory minimum sentences for drugs, you’ll end up filling prisons with people who don’t belong there. On the other hand, bribery is a crime in itself.
I say boot him off, but that is just because he is a republican, not that I actually care about this low-level case

LOL Larry, I appreciate your honesty.

A link to a story would be nice…

Here’s the link to my column: http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/columnists.nsf/susanweich/story/8EF4F7246847B5758625748200173487?OpenDocument
It includes the official court documents.

Isn’t a bribe a reason for disbarment? Booting off the bench seems to small a punishment.

It really amounts to a buy-off, doesn’t it? A reduced criminal charge in exchange for a 50 cent baseball! It certainly makes Thornhill out to be a cheap whore–no different from the stereotype who delivers the notorious $10.00 oral service.

Mr. Thornhill and others should hold themselves to the highest ethical standards. This means exercising their power in the public’s interests, as opposed to personal self-interests or other narrow, private interests.

It’s sad that he would stoop so low, especially for a baseball signed by a player who likely will be forgotten in 10 years or less.

Isn’t Terry Bradshaw that bald-headed football player that routinely shows up on the Tonight Show and on certain weekly-run sitcoms? If so, who the heck would want his signature on anything!!!!?

I have to disagree with your observations and opinion in the Thornhill matter. I too read the Disciplinary Hearing Panel Decision and the recommendation for reprimand. Your column did not mention the fact that the Panel concluded there was no quid pro quo arrangement. Further, in the Panel’s assessment of the sanction they concluded that Thornhill “…did not act dishonestly and did not seek to profit from his handling of the Hart matter.” I think the panel was fair in its decision and recommendation.

It is very harsh to lay a claim of unethical behavior after the matter has been fully investigated and no such findings were made. Your strong opinion in this matter seems to be misdirected. You should be upset that Banas has pledged to continue disqualifying Thornhill from cases. Rather, you are encouraging readers from joining in this behavior and hindering the “efficient running of the county court system.”

it doesn’t seem like this judge is fit for the bench in this country if we go by what we are SUPPOSED to stand for. In reality, we have judges using penis pumps while sitting a trial, we have them driving drunk from a ballgame, injuring people and staying on the bench, using hookers, and an old one in IL was caught with his pants down and a “woman date” in his car and drinking. All got cut loose and are still able to practice judging others if they were on the bench before they got caught.

This administration has done so much that is wrong and illegal maybe it is time to crack down. Any woman and minority and non-good old boy white man knows the american bench is as corrupt as any in russia given the right circumstances. We don’t enforce labor laws, whistleblower laws and anti-discrimination laws properly.

To quote Cheech and Chong…BAILIFF…WHACK HIS PEE PEE!!!!!
(that includes all of his little equally corrupt and useless officemates who take this so non-seriously)

If the Judge was stupid enough to make a deal like this, he’s obviously not fit for the bench. You can’t fix stupid, letting him off will just bring more of the same.