Springfield Municipal Court chief judge dies

Provided by city of Springfield

Judge Todd Thornhill led the Springfield Municipal Court for nearly three decades.

The longtime chief judge of the Springfield Municipal Court has died.

Judge Todd Thornhill, 61, died April 8. A cause of death was not disclosed by city of Springfield officials.

Thornhill was appointed as the Springfield Municipal Court's chief judge in 1994. In the role, he presided over city ordinance violation cases, as well as the day-to-day administration of the court.

During his career, Thornhill was appointed to Missouri Supreme Court Municipal Division Work Group in 2015 and to serve as a member of the Missouri Press-Bar Commission in 2016, according to a city news release. In 2019, he received the Missouri Municipal and Associate Circuit Judges Association George Pittman Award.

Before becoming a judge, he worked as an attorney with Springfield law firms Woolsey, Fisher, Whiteaker and McDonald and the offices of Robert M.N. Palmer.

Springfield spokesperson Cora Scott said the city would share information about the succession process for the chief judge role at a later date. The release indicated Springfield Municipal Court operations will continue, with Municipal Court Judge Wendy Garrison and substitute judges John Appelquist and Matt Owen presiding.

In a notice from the Springfield Metropolitan Bar Association to members announcing Thornhill's death, peers recalled his career.

“Judge Thornhill was a stalwart in the Springfield Municipal Division and was recognized throughout the state for his skill, expertise and compassion in handling the varied matters that came before him in the municipal court,” said Michael Cordonnier, presiding judge of the 31st Judicial Circuit.

Garrison of the Springfield Municipal Court reflected on his mentorship work.

"Working with him, I gained a new respect for his intelligence, his ability to cite the law accurately from memory (to include specific statute and rule numbers) and the constant care he took to make thoughtful decisions," Garrison said in the SMBA notice. "He well understood that his decisions affected lives and this understanding was evident by the passion he exhibited in the courtroom.”