Does dressing up for a court appearance make much of a difference?

Run_to_da_hills · 07-08-2011 7:46pm #1

Dose dressing up in a suit make a big difference in front of a judge during a hearing?

I pass by Dunlaoghaire Court regularly and see guys outside the courthouse, some in tracksuit bottoms and jeans etc. Surely a judge would take a dim view of this.

drunkmonkey · 07-08-2011 7:51pm

I reckon it does depending on the case and the sex of the Judge.

bath handle · 07-08-2011 7:52pm

Run_to_da_hills wrote: »

Dose dressing up in a suit make a big difference in front of a judge during a hearing?

I pass by Dunlaoghaire Court regularly and see guys outside the courthouse, some in tracksuit bottoms and jeans etc. Surely a judge would take a dim view of this.

It does make a difference. There is a judge in Tallaght who frequently criticises defendants with regard to their clothing.

Run_to_da_hills · 07-08-2011 8:00pm

bath handle wrote: »

It does make a difference. There is a judge in Tallaght who frequently criticises defendants with regard to their clothing.

There's no excuse for not having a suit with all the charity shops about the city.

dvpower · 07-08-2011 8:07pm

Run_to_da_hills wrote: »

There's no excuse for not having a suit with all the charity shops about the city.

A fella could rob a suit out of a charity shop easy.

coylemj · 07-08-2011 8:33pm

Q. What do you call a northsider in a suit?

A. The defendant

Zambia · 08-08-2011 12:02am

There was a case here where a crook robbed a tie from a car outside court to attend. The judge saw the crook in his old college tie and had to excuse himself but not before ordering the accused arrested for theft. So I would say yes. I also once instructed a accused to cover his bum in court major brickie bum going on.

nuac · 08-08-2011 8:11am

Yes it does. Suit collar and tie for males and appropriate dress for females.

newballsplease · 08-08-2011 8:34am

2 men charged with a crime. Only one man is guilty.

Man 1- Wears a shiny 3 piece suit, shiny shoes,clean shaven and overall respectable looking.

Man 2- Wears adidas tracksuit, hair spiked at the front, a bumfluff moustache, rebok classic runners.

Fair trial my hole, I know who im picking as guilty.

The Suit!

Our man in Havana · 08-08-2011 9:30am

There is also a school of thought that suggests that well dressed defendants get fined bigger amounts.

I remember Judge Mary Martin in Portlaoise DC remark after the Electric Picnic drugs cases, "it has been a good week for the tailors!"

coylemj · 08-08-2011 12:03pm

bath handle wrote: »

It does make a difference. There is a judge in Tallaght who frequently criticises defendants with regard to their clothing.

Which is precisely the point - it all depends on the judge. The best person to ask is your solicitor, he or she will tell you if it's going to make any difference.

Sometimes just as important is the defendant's attitude, you may be told that you should stand up straight and speak clearly to the judge when called upon to say your name and plead guilty or not guilty and that that will be far more important that the clothes on your back.

Going back to clothes, there was a DJ in Dublin years ago who was an ex Army legal officer and he was a stickler for dress, especially with the cops. If a Garda turned up to give evidence in his motor cycle leathers the judge took an extremely dim view, he expected regular tunic and trousers and shiny black shoes and he'd tell the Garda straight that's what was expected in his court in future!

bob_lob_law · 08-08-2011 1:03pm

Funny you should mention this, my local DJ said in a recent drug case that the accused was clearly a big player as only a drug dealer could afford such a nice suit. Shocking stuff.

Kosseegan · 08-08-2011 1:28pm

It is not so much the quality of the suit. It is the look of taking the proceeding seriously and showing respect. When it comes to being believed on a conflict of fact or getting the judge to exercise some discretion in favour of someone, appearance counts!

coylemj · 08-08-2011 2:34pm

Kosseegan wrote: »

It is not so much the quality of the suit. It is the look of taking the proceeding seriously and showing respect. When it comes to being believed on a conflict of fact or getting the judge to exercise some discretion in favour of someone, appearance counts!

That is definitely true in the case of a witness of fact. If I had to go to court to give evidence to backup someone in a case like a traffic accident where there was likely to be a conflict of evidence I would definitely throw on the best suit.