What to wear for jury duty - YouLookFab Forum

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What to wear for jury duty

Jenn

(website)

Veteran

I got a jury summons yesterday for the week after we get back from vacation. The dress code says, “Business casual is always appropriate. Shorts, tank tops, flip flops, and clothes with a bare midriff or that display inappropriate pictures or language aren’t allowed.”

I wouldn’t dress inappropriately, but I also don’t really have much in the realm of business casual clothing, because that hasn’t been my lifestyle for years. I can probably manage a day or two, but if I were assigned to a weeklong (or longer!) trial, things would get difficult. Would smart casual work?

Dressing

28 replies

Latest reply was from Jaime

chewyspaghetti

Veteran

Yes, what you have should be fine.

rachylou

Veteran

Omigosh. I’ve never been when everyone didn’t look a wreck. Not inappropriate, just ‘I slept in my clothes’ and ‘Am totally stressed because I can’t pay my rent if I don’t work.’

cat2

Veteran

You probably won’t be out on a panel. If you are, the judge will likely run the trial 4 days a week, so you will have time to do laundry. So don’t worry.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Oh, for sure, Jenn. Several of your dresses and/or skirts would be appropriate, especially with a topper for frigid AC. I think that word "business" is just a code for "none of the stuff we say you can't wear" which is, in fact, what many people wear as "casual" wear.

So, your cinnamon two piece dress. Your black dress (one of them). Pretty much any topper you own.

Also, many of your dresses/ skirts are easy to remix with different items for a different look. So no one will know you are wearing the same thing (if you can wash and dry overnight). Just add a lightweight summer scarf (or whatever), wear you hair a bit differently, add different jewellery or footwear, and you're good.

Aquamarine

Veteran

My experience is the same as rachy’s.

Jenn

(website)

Veteran

Rachylou and Aquamarine, yeah, there is that. $15/day is definitely not a livable wage.

Cat2, all the times I’ve been called before, I ended up not even having to go in, but a friend of mine ended up on a three-week corporate embezzlement trial!

Suz and chewy, thank you for the specifics! It’s nice to have folks who know more or less what I have in my wardrobe!

Stagiaire Fash

Veteran

Your friend got lucky! Only time I’ve done it, I was in the pool for around 6 hours, until all the juries for the day were empaneled, and they let the extras go—hundreds of us. Extremely inefficient, considering they only needed a couple dozen people.

Granted, they were Florida men & women, but based on that sample, I can’t imagine anything you might wear would be inappropriate.

cjh

(website)

Veteran

I was on in April. The directions said basically the same thing for appropriate dress. I wore black dress slacks, blouse and sweater, and took a spring jacket, thankfully. It was freezing in the building and I was there all day before a jury was selected (not me - I knew a witness in the case).

Your wardrobe is great for jury duty. Everyone I saw dressed neatly and looked fairly well groomed and alert. Over half the people wore jeans, with sport shirts, sweaters and a handful of blazers - they looked appropriate to me and the bailiff said nothing about anyone’s clothing. No athletic wear or shorts appeared, maybe because it was still chilly weather.

(I know people who wear their best jeans to funerals because they don’t own other choices. It’s more important that they attend.)

Jenn

(website)

Veteran

cjh and Fashintern, I am glad they’re doing empaneling a little differently right now due to covid. Instead of calling all the jurors into a large pool and parcelling them out, they’re having smaller groups report directly to the courtrooms. There should be at least a bit less sitting around in stuffy rooms with too many people, which I was not looking forward to. Still not thrilled about the idea, even being fully vaccinated. Best case scenario, I end up not having to go in at all.

Stagiaire Fash

Veteran

There are some practices adapted for Covid that really should stay the same after the pandemic ends. This sounds like one of them.

JAileen

Veteran

You have plenty of clothes that would be fine.

Anonymous

Hmm . Here’s your opportunity to get out of this by dressing in something really scary and bizarre Hehehheh .

Anonymous

I'm with Lisa!
*rubs hands together with glee*

Jenn

(website)

Veteran

Suntiger and Lisa, I did immediately think of this episode of 30 Rock.

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JAileen

Veteran

Jenn I was about to post a link!

In my area if you try to get out of jury duty by acting weird, the judge is liable to slap a contempt of court charge on you..

Anonymous

Anything clean and modest is fine.
ETA: Though lisap’s suggestion is more fun!

Anonymous

Sloper

Veteran

Your wardrobe will be fine.

I've had to go in a couple of times to downtown LA for jury duty. Some people are in their business clothes, some VERY casual. No rules other than what they've posted.

You may have to deal with some chillier air conditioning, so bring a sweater.

Jenn

(website)

Veteran

Sloper, I was relieved to be called into Burbank and not DTLA.

JAileen and Ryce, I actually think it would be kind of interesting to be picked, but I definitely won’t be disappointed if not.

Sloper

Veteran

Good! Relatively that is
Downtown LA traffic sux.

Bijou

Veteran

So tricky, I would wear my most conservative clothing and hope I don’t get picked. Our jury system is similar and means that you sit around for a long time with nothing to do but just wait.

rachylou

Veteran

I get called every year. I always write down that cops do not deserve the benefit of a doubt. That usually seems to get me dismissed, but once I made it all the way into the courtroom and I was willing to stay because of the nature of the case. However, they never went forward beyond that because… refer to my statement above about benefit of a doubt: no case

DonnaF

Veteran

Well, you could wear a Tshirt with a political/partisan message that isn’t obscene. . . .Just wear something comfy. The last time I got called and actually had to report, a good friend’s business partner was one of the attorneys so I knew him more or less socially. I knew I would eventually be dismissed, but I had to go in for two days before it actually happened.

Janet

(website)

Veteran

As Suz and others said, you’ll be fine!

I’ve only gotten called for duty twice in my life — once when I was in my 20s and once about 6 years ago, in a different county. I was dismissed without being assigned to a case both times. Never got called in all the years I lived in the city, which I find kind of surprising. In both cases, I saw a big range of how people showed up for duty. I have no doubt you will be among the most presentable and well-dressed there!

April

Veteran

Yes, if you really don't want to be selected for any jury, wear something that screams "I am mentally unstable."

I realize that this only applies if you live in a place where "mentally unstable" is seen as an undesirable thing in a juror.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

I don't know anything about jury duty, but I bet that how you usually dress will be MORE than fine. You always look neat, presentable, stylish and pulled together.

Style Fan

Veteran

Your wardrobe is fine. I have been called a few times. Then I get dismissed when they find out what my work is.

Jaime

(website)

Veteran

Thank you for the 30 Rock reference - still funny after all these years! I would not worry about your wardrobe.