Judge made a female lawyer come around the bench so she could inspect her sleeveless sheath dress — then laughed and told her to get a blazer

Courtrooms are known for their strict rules and formal expectations. Mariah Medina (@MMedianews), a defense lawyer and journalist, kept this in mind when she chose the grey shift dress. Before the trial began, the judge saw her and asked her to come around the bench so she could have a better look at Medina's outfit. When she saw what Medina wore, she laughed and asked if she thought it was appropriate for court. What she said next left Medina red in the face. The post was shared on September 22, and it had 38,000 likes, 2,200 comments, and 942 reshares.

Mean-spirited Judge

Medina shared a photo and a video of herself wearing the grey shift dress. She explained, "It’s a dress I’ve worn on air countless times and a dress that I have worn to other courts without issue." She shared the video to show that her dress was formal and decent. It was not backless or revealing anything. The only thing exposed was her shoulders. What irked Medina was the way the judge addressed her. She asked her to come around the bench in front of all the defendants and lawyers, then laughed at her. Medina wrote, "She laughed and asked if I really believed that my dress was appropriate for a jury trial. Then asked me if I had a blazer in my car." Medina thought it was "mean-spirited and unprofessional."

Planning an appropriate outfit

In another post, Medina explained that the judge had a dress code outside the courtroom doors, and her dress did not violate it. She further defended herself, saying that she had worn the dress countless times while reporting on TV. She had never received a single mean email about it, so the judge's reaction really took her by surprise. She explained her thought process before deciding on the dress. "What’s funny is that I was going to wear a suit but thought the blouse I have in my office showed too much cleavage, and it was a 'professional' tank top. She does not allow tank tops in her court, and her AC is always broken, so I thought, 'Let me just wear this dress,'" she said.

What's considered appropriate clothing in a courtroom?

Dress codes in the courtroom apply to both men and women, as well as lawyers and clients. Virginia Lawyers' Weekly conducted a web poll in 2010 and found that not every firm (60%) had a dress code, but there were "unspoken expectations" about how an attorney should present themselves, whether in the courtroom or the office. The poll also found that 79% of the respondents voted in favor of covering up cleavage, which was what Medina did but still got called out.

Richmond Law Firm also mentioned a list of clothing items that could be worn to court. Dresses were okay, but sleeveless dresses should be worn with a blazer, a jacket, or a cardigan. While the judge objected to Medina's sleeveless dress, the latter argued that it did not break any dress-code rules. She did not, however, elaborate on the specific requirements of the judge's court.

Judge was petty

Viewers had mixed opinions on Medina's dress. Some argued that the judge was being petty, while others believed Medina could have put on a blazer. @KohlerAmie13522 asked, "Is there something wrong with my eyes? I don’t see anything wrong with this dress. Why would this judge say that?" @AngelSeesLight commented, "It’s a sleeveless dress, and men also have to cover their shoulders. I do not see sex discrimination in asking all legal professionals to cover their shoulders. Courts are serious places. The priority is the people whose lives may be affected."

You can follow Mariah Medina (@MMedianews) for more news and lifestyle content.

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