What should a woman wear to Court?
WHAT A WOMAN SHOULD WEAR TO COURT
You will be appearing at a court for a matter that is of great importance to you. It is, therefore, imperative that you wear appropriate clothing. The preferable attire is a dress or suit or a skirt and a blouse. You should not wear pants. Your clothing should be similar to that which you would wear to a religious occasion, not overstated and not casual. For shoes, you should wear plain pumps and nylons, not sandals or sneakers. If you are inclined to wear jewelry, it should not be expensive jewelry and the jewelry should be kept at a bare minimum. Simple earrings are acceptable, an inexpensive watch is acceptable and no more than one ring should be worn.
In Massachusetts the courtroom has microphones and if you have occasion to speak, please be aware that the microphones do not amplify, but they merely record the proceeding. You should respond to the Judge by speaking clearly and should always stand up when speaking with the Judge. If you nod your head, the microphone cannot record that. You must, therefore, answer in the affirmative or in the negative with a clear yes or no. The courts do not allow speaking in the courtroom while other matters are being heard and no one is allowed to read any paperwork other than court documents.
It is important that you do not wear any perfume in case the Judge is allergic to it. We try to anticipate avoiding any negative reactions that can be avoided. Be sure not to bring a pocketknife, nail clippers or any other sharp implement, which may set off the metal detector through which you must enter at the courthouse. Also, increasingly in the courts due to heightened security, the court officer will confiscate any cameras, or cell phones or palm pilots with a camera feature, and retain the camera (cell phone or palm pilot with a camera feature) until 5:00 P.M. causing you possible inconvenience. We recommend that you do not bring anything with a camera feature with you to court. If you bring a cell phone, you must turn it off before you enter the courtroom because if it rings while court is in session, some judges are quite severe in their reaction.