I sat outside the court room this week waiting for a clerk to finish up some work for me. As I sat there I engaged in some people watching. What I noticed was disturbing. As the sheriff came to the court room door and called individuals and families to go in to the court room I studied what they were wearing. This day was a family day at the court house. This means that the cases heard dealt with custody, access, and visitation of children as well as child support, spousal support and the division of property. Now you might think that people appearing at the court in front of a judge would you know dress for the occasion. They. Did. Not. Scruffy jeans, tank tops, t-shirts, baseball caps, sweat pants, yes sweat pants. The judge today decides if you are going to have regular access to your children and you are wearing sweat pants?!?
Obviously these people care about the outcome of their court appearance or they would not be here in the first place. So why are they not dressed in a manner that says, "I am taking this seriously"? It is a puzzle to me. There lawyers are wearing suits (the men) and pant suits (the women), the judge is wearing robes, so is the clerk. For most of these people this is not there first time here. I even recognized a couple from previous trips to the court house (hello guy who had a drunk and disorderly and was asking the clerk about his assault charge).
So as a public service to anyone who reads this blog if you are going to court dress up, in fact funeral dress up. If you do not own a suit or a skirt or a pant suit, go down to your local thrift shop and buy one. There are usually like twenty of them on the rack that you can buy for less than fifteen dollars. Make sure it is clean and does not smell weird and buy it. While you are at it buy a nice shirt or blouse these can also be purchased at your local thrift shop for a nominal price. Of course if you want to splurge and go to Mens Wearhouse that is your business but for goodness sake look good. This matters. If you are at court it is becuase something has gone drastically wrong. If you look like a person who the judge would not mind having over for dinner it can only help. If you look like someone the judge would not let mow his lawn you are probably going to have a very long day.
4 comments:
Would their lawyers not have some responsibility to encourage them to dress up a little??
the sad fact is that there is hardly anyone who dresses up or rather dresses appropriately for anything anymore. Look at weddings, funerals, church.... more and more the norm is DRESS DOWN, see how grungy you can look. I don't know the reason for this but it is really sad.
People use to dress up to go on plane trips too ... that, in my opinion is just weird. Get comfy people! You're going to be on a plane with a few dozen people you don't know - strip down to your p.j's if you have to ... but "for goodness sake look good" for Court! As Michael says - the judge is about to make a monumental decision in your life!
I have to say it is a little frightening watching people at the court house. I think they way they dress is sometimes the least of their problems.
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