Before the rampage: 'Cookie' Thornton spent years fighting losing

St. Louis Daily Record & St. Louis Countian, Feb 11, 2008 by Will Connaghan

Charles L. "Cookie" Thornton, who killed five Kirkwood officials last Thursday, spent years battling city officials in court.

Acting mostly as his own attorney, Thornton appeared in civil or criminal cases as a defendant or plaintiff in Kirkwood Municipal Court, St. Louis County Circuit Court, the Missouri Court of Appeals Eastern District and the U.S District Court in St. Louis.

His court troubles began in 1996 when the city of Kirkwood charged him with the first of many municipal code violations.

For a time in the summer of 1998, it appeared Thornton's problems with the city would be short-lived. He pleaded guilty to six violations on June 2, 1998, and agreed to a five-phase plan to clean up his property and remove his paving business from the residential area surrounding his home at 351 Attucks Ave. in Kirkwood, within two years.

But the two-year plan apparently didn't take hold and Thornton fell deeper and deeper into trouble. He was issued 114 violations from 1996 to 2004, according to court records.

Thornton's attorney in that 1998 case was State Rep. Michael R. Gibbons, R-St. Louis County. Gibbons declined to answer questions on Friday.

Gibbons, a former Kirkwood City Councilman, did issue a statement about the shooting rampage at Thursday's council meeting.

"We have suffered a tragedy of unimaginable proportions," Gibbons said. "Council members Connie Karr and Mike Lynch, City Public Works Director Ken Yost, and Police officers Sergeant Bill Biggs and Officer Tom Ballman were lost working for us, and our hearts and prayers are with their families and friends."

Thornton appeared in court for numerous ordinance violations including failure to remove rubbish, construction equipment in a residential area, commercial vehicle in a residential zone, barking dogs and destruction of private property. He also filed a suit in St. Louis County Circuit Court against the city of Kirkwood for malicious prosecution. Summary judgment was issued in favor of Kirkwood in that case by Judge Barbara Ann Crancer.

In a letter to Crancer, Thornton told the judge that the defendants had tricked her.

"They have manipulated you into being the ringleader of their three-ring circus. These three rings are perjury, document fraud and harassment. I believe you have always sought the truth, in order for you to determine justice. These city officials have lied, tricked hoodwinked and snickered you into passing a judgment in their favor," the letter read.

The most recent ruling in one of Thornton's court cases came on Jan. 28. U.S. District Court Judge Catherine Perry ruled against Thornton in a civil rights lawsuit that stemmed from two Kirkwood City Council meetings in 2006.

Thornton was arrested on May 18, 2006, and again on June 15, 2006, for his disruptive behavior. At both meetings, Thornton referred to the mayor and city council as "jackasses" and stated that Kirkwood had a "plantation-like mentality." He also refused to comply with an order to cease his disruptive behavior.

He was convicted of disorderly conduct in municipal court and in St. Louis County Associate Circuit Court on appeal. His case was pending before the Missouri Court of Appeals.

Thornton filed the federal action Jan. 18, 2007. He sought an injunction to prevent the city of Kirkwood from stopping him from speaking at city council meetings.

Perry wrote in her opinion that any restrictions on Thornton's speech were "reasonable, viewpoint neutral and served important governmental interests."

She noted that since the meeting was a limited public forum, the city had the right to restrict the topic of discussion.

"Thornton's comments were irrelevant and repetitive, and his truculent attitude was disruptive to the city council meeting," the opinion said. "As such, the restraint on his speech was constitutional."

Thornton's disputes with the city of Kirkwood mainly centered on what he felt was harassing behavior from the city council and police. Thornton served as a commissioner n the Kirkwood Housing Authority from 1995-2001. He wrote a letter of resignation from the board in 2001 that detailed his reasons for leaving. Thornton gave Missouri Lawyers Media a copy of the letter.

"Over the last several years, I have experienced racial profiling, discrimination and other acts of unfair justice by the City of Kirkwood Officers and the Kirkwood Police Department. I must cease my volunteer services effective immediately and devote my energies towards these concerns," the letter read.

Last July, while his case was pending in federal court, Thornton came to the attention of downtown St. Louis workers, residents and Missouri Lawyers Media when he parked his van near the corner of Broadway and Washington Avenue. The van displayed signs that referred to Kirkwood City Attorney John M. Hessel and Mayor Mike Swoboda as "liars." Hessel is a partner with Lewis, Rice & Fingersh which has their office in the building on the southeast corner of Broadway and Washington.

According to news reports, Hessel threw chairs at Thornton during the shooting rampage on Thursday night and was able to escape harm. He could not be reached for comment on Friday.