Does what you wear in court have any impact on the jury??

[rose_child]

I recently was watching a program on CourtTv that made me wonder this..

In the episode the defendent wore a very different style of clothing compared to what she usually wears. Light colored "girly" dresses VS. dark colored "goth wear"...

The girl was found innocent of brutally stabbibg her own mother and then dismembering her corpse. I found this verdict complete crap, since there were a number of creditable witnesses.

My question is if she was found not guilty due to her choice in clothing, or something I missed???

[jenny2052]

I would say it probably does matter. That and how you act. I beleive the West Memphis Three are innocent, however I don't think the way Damien acted on the stand helped their case much.

[Serial Killer X]

I recently was watching a program on CourtTv that made me wonder this..

In the episode the defendent wore a very different style of clothing compared to what she usually wears. Light colored "girly" dresses VS. dark colored "goth wear"...

The girl was found innocent of brutally stabbibg her own mother and then dismembering her corpse. I found this verdict complete crap, since there were a number of creditable witnesses.

My question is if she was found not guilty due to her choice in clothing, or something I missed???

First Thing's First How Could She Be Found Innocent Of Stabbing And Dismembering Her Own Mother's Corpse That's Very Sick And Horrible. I Don't Believe It Would Make A Diffrence Unless The Juror's Are Retarted Then Yes.

[Livia]

I definitely think it makes a difference. Probably it shouldn't, but I believe that very often it does.

I'm no lawyer :D but I've heard that a defendant's lawyer will usually try to persuade the defendant to dress in a manner that will make a favorable impression on the jury. For example--if a male defendant usually wears jeans and a t-shirt, long hair, and a beard, I can almost guarantee he will show up in court beardless, hair neatly trimmed, and wearing a suit and tie! Same with the goth look--it will probably be replaced by dress more suitable to a Puritan girl or boy lol! :biggrin: