Thomas Patrick Thornton (March 8, 1898 – July 1, 1985) was a United States federal judge.Born in Boston, Massachusetts, USA, Thornton received an LL.B. from the University of Detroit School of Law in 1926. He was in private practice in Detroit, Michigan from 1926 to 1937. He was an assistant U.S. Attorney of the Eastern District of Michigan from 1937 to 1944. He was a Chief assistant U.S. attorney of the Eastern District of Michigan from 1944 to 1947.