Texas Judge Criticizes Lawyer's 'Inappropriate' Dress in Court

A Texas attorney has publicly criticized a judge who she alleges reprimanded her for wearing an "inappropriate" sleeveless dress in court. Mariah Medina, a defense lawyer in Bexar County, shared her experience on social media after the incident, which occurred during a trial announcement docket.

Medina stated that the judge called her to the bench to examine her attire in front of other defendants and lawyers. According to Medina, the judge questioned whether the dress was suitable for a jury trial and asked if she had a blazer available in her car.

The dress in question, a gray shift dress from J.Crew, had previously been worn by Medina on air and in other court settings without issue. Medina defended her choice, noting that the dress is not backless or revealing and that she selected it over a blouse that she felt might show more cleavage.

Bexar County Criminal Court rules generally require business attire for attorneys and court officials, though business casual is sometimes permitted at the discretion of individual judges. Medina contended that her dress did not violate the posted dress code for the specific courtroom.

"Apart from her having her dress code on the doors outside her court (that my dress didn’t violate), it was completely mean spirited and unprofessional to address it in the manner that she did," Medina wrote. She added that her case was not scheduled for trial that day.

The incident drew mixed reactions online, with some users agreeing with the judge's assessment and others defending Medina's attire. Medina stated that while she found the judge's remarks unprofessional, she would comply with dress code expectations when appearing in that judge's courtroom going forward.