# Dress code in court **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 4, 2023, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dress-code-in-court/984994 "2023-06-04T18:11:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2023, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dress-code-in-court/984994/21 "2023-06-05T13:30:50Z")
I’ve seen people show up for jury duty in biballs with flannel shirt and last time one fellah showed up in a ratty – and way too tight – T shirt with Trump propaganda on the front. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2023, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dress-code-in-court/984994/22 "2023-06-05T13:39:39Z")
> [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](#): > > I’ve seen people show up for jury duty in biballs with **flannel shirt** - At least they understood they needed business wear for court. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2023, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dress-code-in-court/984994/23 "2023-06-05T13:41:57Z")
Touché, m’sieur pussycat. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Yelnick\_McWawa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/839c29/32.png) [@Yelnick\_McWawa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yelnick_McWawa)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2023, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dress-code-in-court/984994/24 "2023-06-05T14:09:59Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > I’m not saying the rules aren’t there. My question is if pushed, are those rules legal? IANAL: The rules are legal in his courtroom. You’re free to leave the courtroom, but if you stay, the judge call the rules. Just as I have the right to a dress code in my own house. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2023, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dress-code-in-court/984994/25 "2023-06-05T14:14:51Z")
I’ve mostly seen judges direct people not to wear tee shirts with obscenities and pro-drug/alcohol messages. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2023, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dress-code-in-court/984994/26 "2023-06-05T14:20:10Z")
> [@Yelnick\_McWawa](#): > > IANAL: The rules are legal in his courtroom. You’re free to leave the courtroom, but if you stay, the judge call the rules. Just as I have the right to a dress code in my own house Your house isn’t a government entity. It’s a different standard. You can choose not to have Jewish people in your home. The judge cannot have such a rule. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2023, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dress-code-in-court/984994/27 "2023-06-05T14:24:44Z")
> [@susan](#): > > I’ve mostly seen judges direct people not to wear tee shirts with obscenities and pro-drug/alcohol messages. And no hats for men. Most places have become pretty casual for jurors, less so for witnesses. And, of course, they can mandate what the lawyers wear. Although a Seattle judge got some pushback a few years back for making women wear something (I forget exactly what) that was deemed offensive. There is an Alaska Supreme Court decision that holds the courts can make male lawyers wear ties in court. (I once had a judge call me to the bench to remind me to button my top button on my shirt. It was night court, and he was fighting to keep it as formal as the day court. ---
**Author:** ![Falchion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a88e57/32.png) [@Falchion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Falchion)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2023, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dress-code-in-court/984994/28 "2023-06-05T14:28:26Z")
There is a [student note](https://harvardlawreview.org/print/vol-131/sixth-amendment-challenge-to-courthouse-dress-codes/) that argues that a dress code (for spectators) could violate the Sixth Amendment right to a public trial. I’m not sure I find the argument persuasive, but the link has some discussion of cases evaluating dress code and the like. ---
**Author:** ![Seanette](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/seanette/32/9139_2.png) [@Seanette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seanette)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2023, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dress-code-in-court/984994/29 "2023-06-05T14:34:30Z")
I’m on jury standby this week (HATE the standby system that requires prospective jurors to put their lives on hold for a week), and here’s what [Superior Court of California, County of Sacramento](https://www.saccourt.ca.gov/jury/reporting-to-courthouse.aspx) has to say about juror attire: “Please dress appropriately for the courtroom. Business or casual attire is suggested. Shorts and tank tops are not acceptable. Any juror not appropriately dressed will be excused to return the next court day in appropriate attire. The temperature of the jury assembly area and courtrooms can be unpredictable. Jurors are encouraged to dress accordingly.” Looks like if casual is accepted, nicer jeans/sneakers and my usual solid-color top will be acceptable. The sneakers will be important for foot comfort when walking from transit stops to the courthouse. Of course, I have a good chance of simply having my life hijacked all week, unable to plan to get anything done, without having to actually show up at the courthouse. ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2023, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dress-code-in-court/984994/30 "2023-06-05T14:44:05Z")
> [@Seanette](#): > > "Please dress appropriately for the courtroom. Business or casual attire is suggested. **Shorts and tank tops are not acceptable. Any juror not appropriately dressed will be excused to return the next court day in appropriate attire.** Get out of ~~jail~~ jury duty free card, right there in their instrux! ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2023, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dress-code-in-court/984994/31 "2023-06-05T14:45:20Z")
> [@Spiderman](#): > > Get out of ~~jail~~ jury duty free card, right there in their instrux! All you’re doing there is making it so you have to come back the next day; it’s not getting you dismissed from duty. I would also suspect that, depending on the judge, if they remember that they sent you home for wearing shorts on Tuesday, and you came back wearing shorts again on Wednesday, you might find yourself being held in contempt. ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2023, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dress-code-in-court/984994/32 "2023-06-05T17:18:19Z")
It’s one less day you’re there to ~~draw short straw~~ get selected to be on a jury. There are few places that send the sheriff out to round up people who don’t show up so in all likelihood, you are done if you don’t bother coming back the next day either. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2023, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dress-code-in-court/984994/33 "2023-06-06T01:28:40Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > What about the economic impact? Some people don’t even own any “nice” clothing (at least, not “nice” by the standards of the court), … I doubt very much that a special-made shirt emblazoned “Fuck the Police” would be cheaper than a plain white T-shirt from Wal-Mart. (The ones I’ve seen online run from $17.99 to $22, plus shipping.) Or stop in at a local Goodwill or similar thrift store – they are full of button-down dress shirts & ties going very cheap. (Donated by employees whose company has loosened the company dress code.) ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2023, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dress-code-in-court/984994/34 "2023-06-06T12:55:51Z")
I’m not referring to folks in a custom-made free speech shirt. I’m referring to the sorts of folks who, at any given moment, are wearing their entire wardrobe. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2023, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dress-code-in-court/984994/35 "2023-06-06T13:12:27Z")
> [@Wallaby](#): > > For the last 10+ years or so, my one and only suit has been described as the ‘weddings-funerals-job interviews’ outfit. I call my suit “marry 'em and bury 'em” mmm ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2023, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dress-code-in-court/984994/36 "2023-06-06T17:00:01Z")
Even James Marsden had to remove his hat while serving on a jury. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2023, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dress-code-in-court/984994/37 "2023-06-06T21:57:20Z")
> [@Seanette](#): > > HATE the standby system that requires prospective jurors to put their lives on hold for a week) The new thing (in my area at least) of calling the Superior Court in the evening to see if you’re needed only to be told to check in again tomorrow after 11 in the morning to see if they need you that afternoon drives me nuts. Traffic in my area is frequently bad even in the middle of the day and if you get called in for a 12:30 slot, it can be a serious scramble to get to the courthouse on time. Must work for the courts, but it is a lot of stress on the jurors. ---
**Author:** ![peccavi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peccavi/32/388_2.png) [@peccavi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peccavi)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2023, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dress-code-in-court/984994/38 "2023-06-06T23:46:30Z")
In California, many of the courts (all of the state/municipal courts in SoCal) have gone to “one day, one trial”. You have to show up on a specific day and if you are not selected for a jury (or in selection) by the end the day, your service is over. If you are selected for a jury, your service ends when that jury is dismissed. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2023, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dress-code-in-court/984994/39 "2023-06-07T00:08:20Z")
Yes but you are still on call for up to a week where you have to call in the evening before to see if you have to show up. Back in April, I had to show up on the first day to my surprise. All of the previous times I ended up there on the last or next to last day or not at all. That April trial would have extended into a vacation so I got deferred and I have to start the process again in two weeks. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2023, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dress-code-in-court/984994/40 "2023-06-07T00:27:46Z")
[Moderating] While all of the posts about procedures for choosing jurors are interesting, they’re rather a hijack from this thread. Let’s stay on topic. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dress-code-in-court/984994.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dress-code-in-court/984994.md?page=3)