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Boone County Board censures member Marion Thornberry after guilty plea
Summary
After heated remarks and a lengthy response from the member in question, the Boone County Board adopted Resolution 26-05 to censure Board member Marion Thornberry following his plea to attempted theft; the measure removes him from committee appointments and representation roles, and passed by roll call.
The Boone County Board voted March 19 to adopt Resolution 26-05, censuring Board member Marion Thornberry for conduct the board said betrayed the public trust. The resolution follows a court document showing Thornberry pleaded guilty to attempted theft arising from an incident at a Belvidere church.
The resolution, introduced under new business and read into the record by staff, says the board finds Thornberry’s actions “unbecoming of a county board member” and directs removal of Thornberry from county appointments, committees (except committees of the whole), and representation at conferences such as UCCI and NACo. It also calls for censure in the public record.
Board members urged Thornberry to resign during debate. “You admitted to stealing from the church,” said one board member urging resignation; others described the need for accountability and suggested asking the special prosecutor to revisit the plea. Thornberry addressed the board at length, saying, “There was no money stolen,” and arguing that he took a plea to preserve options while seeking evidence and that he would not resign while he believed his legal options remained open.
Legal staff clarified that the Boone County State’s Attorney’s office had a conflict and that a special prosecutor handled the criminal matter. Board members argued both about the moral and legal dimensions of the case, with several saying they expected public officials to meet a higher standard.
After discussion the board proceeded to a roll-call vote on the resolution. The motion passed (yes votes recorded on the meeting record), and the censure now stands as county policy until or unless the board revisits the action. Thornberry protested that the censure would hurt county revenue more than him personally and reiterated his intention to remain on the board unless convicted of a felony.
The board then continued with other items on the agenda.
