Judge Orders Teen to Jail For Pants Style

Also, I'm reminded of the episode of Big Band Theory where Sheldon is held in contempt of court for arguing with the judge.

Just thought I'd throw that out there.

Of course, Sheldon would be on the side of the judge in this instance

reply to post by detachedindividual


I am certain someone has already posted this but I have yet to find a court website without a stated dress code for coming to court. It appears this has always been the dress code for going to court and is not new. This would have been the dress code violation of the man-- No clothing that exposes your midriff or underwear--and sagging jeans expose the underwear of the person.


"Appropriate attire is mandatory for any appearance in Court, whether as a participant in a case, a witness or an observer. This not only helps maintain decorum but shows respect for our nation’s laws and Courts.

As a general rule, you should think of the Courtroom as a formal environment. Dress as you would when going for an important job interview or to church. You will be barred from the Courtroom if you violate the Court dress code. Regardless of how you personally feel about the dress code, obey the rules.

Suggested Guidelines

Men: wear shoes with socks; long pants (on pants with belt loops, wear a belt); collared shirt (tucked in) with a tie, with or without a jacket
Women: wear shoes; a dress, skirt or long pants; a blouse, sweater or casual dress shirt

You will NOT be allowed to enter the Courtroom wearing the following inappropriate clothing (this may result in an arrest warrant for failure to appear or a default of your civil case):

Shorts
Hats (men) or hair curlers (women)
Halter or tube top
T-shirt or muscle shirt
See-through top
Flip flops
Clothing that exposes your midriff or underwear
Ripped or torn jeans
Baggy pants that fall below your waist
Clothing with an emblem or wording that promotes illegal or inappropriate activity
Clothing that depicts or promotes violence, sex acts, illegal drug use or profanity

Special Rules for Juvenile Court

To protect the decorum of the Court, all participants in Juvenile Court must follow these special mandatory dress code rules in addition to those above:

A belt must be worn if your pants have belt loops

Pants must be worn at waist level

For males, shirts must be tucked in

Remove all visible body piercing jewelry or hardware except you may wear one earring in each earlobe
You must be appropriately groomed. Males must shave their faces. Males and females must wear their hair styled or cut in a conservative fashion.

Cell Phones

If you wear or carry a cell phone or a pager, you must turn it off while Court is in session. The Judge will assess a $50 fine if your cell phone or pager goes off during Court.

No texting while Court is in session."

I posted this because I thought it was a little uncomfortable. Personally, I don't like the style of pants that they wear. However, I just find it funny in a hypocritical way that this country claims to have so much freedom, but you can get thrown in jail for wearing your pants in a certain way. I see people supporting it but it seems like a slippery slope. Baggy pants today, Plumbers crack tomorrow, Cowboy hats next week. This country just seems to be loosing freedom in small increments. People yell for freedom and then turn around and yell for it to be taken away.

TL;DR Doesn't freedom mean freedom to look like an idiot?

Wait... isnt it legal to walk around in your under ware?

Originally posted by IratePotatoes
I posted this because I thought it was a little uncomfortable. Personally, I don't like the style of pants that they wear. However, I just find it funny in a hypocritical way that this country claims to have so much freedom, but you can get thrown in jail for wearing your pants in a certain way. I see people supporting it but it seems like a slippery slope. Baggy pants today, Plumbers crack tomorrow, Cowboy hats next week. This country just seems to be loosing freedom in small increments. People yell for freedom and then turn around and yell for it to be taken away.

TL;DR Doesn't freedom mean freedom to look like an idiot?

it is not the first time

www.syracuse.com...

reply to post by IratePotatoes


Ok, I'm not really big on this style, in fact I think it looks prety stupid. And when you're trying to make your escape, sh&t, you're f$#ked. BUT, it is still a personal style choice. No one should be hauled off to jail becouse someone thinks their style is in bad taste.

reply to post by Joki42


He wasn't arrested for his poor style choices. He was jailed for violating the courts previous request that he be dressed appropriately for his next court date. It is entirely in the Judges purview on how strictly they enforce the dress code in their court room. To be taken into custody for contempt of court carries the implication that the defendant was warned.

reply to post by HandyDandy

The police state is a reflection of the changes in our society in response to the world.

You can't put people out of work and hire offshore labor forever and expect people at home not to change. I mean, before they might have been working in a manufacturing plant, but now they're just barely scraping by. People can't transition from one job field to another immediately. It doesn't work that way.

The brain drain has just as much effect in the countries we go to for cheaper labor. This doesn't include the pollution and the exploitation of the education level in those regions by corporations.

If america is unwilling to enforce its own standards on its domestic companies or its imports and is also unwilling to respect the needs of its own people then we deserve whatever is coming our way.

The rules are not the same in different countries and this means we can't control what happens globally. So if you're a business-man then you'll naturally be global in order to reduce restrictions on your company. If the rules were the same in each country then we would basically be living in a world government.

Why do you think call centers are virtually all foreign? Do you think it's because the people from india are better at answering your questions? Last I tried it, I could barely understand what they were saying. Sometimes I can understand them ok and am impressed, but I usually have to struggle a bit. It's not always about whether someone performs better or not, it's about money or indirect things like taxes. Some people might think I'm being racist, but I'm absolutely not. It's hard to understand a foreign speaker!

What I think is happening is the standards are going down as america comes into balance with the rest of the world. This will result in america being more like other countries in the process. Over 2 billion people do not have reliable access to electricity. The vast majority of people outside the US do not understand our customs and behavior for lack of resources and wealth. So more ghettos and tent cities in our future.

Some people think this rebalancing is necessary.

More ghettos and tent cities and power blackouts means... police and courts getting anxious.

(you'll be hearing more about the drug war too - more than ever before)

I don't think it's a mistake we're talking about exporting natural gas and coal...

Please note: We're not exporting scientists or engineers or architects. They are coming here.

What's saggin backwards, just a thought.

Originally posted by Brandon88
What's saggin backwards, just a thought.

Yep.

I don't have have a problem with people having their own style, so long as I don't have to look at their ass crack or any other junk while in PUBLIC. If so, then I could understand a fine for indecent exposure, etc. However, jail is a bit excessive. This video comes to mind. Too much "saggin" for public? Maybe.

Originally posted by IratePotatoes
I posted this because I thought it was a little uncomfortable. Personally, I don't like the style of pants that they wear. However, I just find it funny in a hypocritical way that this country claims to have so much freedom, but you can get thrown in jail for wearing your pants in a certain way.

You mean a certain way IN A COURT ROOM.

See, when you take it out of that context, it makes it sound like you'll be thrown in jail while walking down the street or on your own lawn.

That's why context is so, so important.

Don't want to be thrown in jail for wearing baggy pants?

A) Obey the court policies while in the courtroom.
B) DON'T FIND A WAY OF LANDING IN COURT IN THE FIRST PLACE.

reply to post by navy_vet_stg3


Same here everybodys entitled to their own style just respect that everybody doesn't want to stare at your crack all day and find a more respectable way to express yourself.

Judges have the option of issuing contempt rulings for the way you dress. This isn't the first time and it won't be the last. The only thing new is that it's the saggy pants.

When you go to court, you are supposed to show respect for the court by wearing decent clothing.

so let me get this striaght...if i don't want to be exposed to some guys butt in underwear out in public, i'm an old fogy, but if i wear shorts that come up over my knees, i'm labeled as creepy?.....rriigghhtt!!

Sad that this is an issue for so many people... saggy pants are the least of this country's troubles.
You can't legislate freedom, no matter how firm your OPINION is.

Same folks that want saggy pants outlawed should be calling for the ban of cleavage too... else they're all hypocrites.

I sag my pants all the time. At school, home, outside; pretty much everywhere. You don't like it? Stop staring at my ass. How about we throw you in jail because we don't like that you wear your clothes "proper". Who's to say it isn't proper? Oh I see, because everyone else wears their clothes "proper", you have to do it too? People love hating on someone different.

Freedom kids.

In a free society people would be allowed to walk around naked if they wanted to. There are native tribes that don't have a problem with it. I guess being "civilized" means imposing your will on others huh?

Personally it would bother me on a personal level to see naked dudes walking down the street, but not so much that I would take away their freedom. Instead I would try to develop a device (a cyber implant or something) that would overlay virtual clothes on them, like a clown suit or something. That's what I call the male body anyway. A clown suit.

Originally posted by Vandettas
I sag my pants all the time. At school, home, outside; pretty much everywhere. You don't like it? Stop staring at my ass. How about we throw you in jail because we don't like that you wear your clothes "proper". Who's to say it isn't proper? Oh I see, because everyone else wears their clothes "proper", you have to do it too? People love hating on someone different.

Freedom kids.

edit on 12-4-2012 by Vandettas because: (no reason given)

You're such a rebel, guy. Wearing your pants all saggy like and being so different from everyone else and making such a statement and stuff.

Right on, man. Keep fightin' the power.

Oh, but you may not want to break the law and then go before a judge with your bad ass, different self. Or, you know, like on a job interview. Or maybe when meeting your girlfriend's parents for the first time.

I mean, I know it's really important being a bad ass and expressing your individuality all the time, but sometimes part of growing up means realizing when you have to fake it for your own benefit.

But it's ok, man. Like, even when you're sitting there in a shirt and tie, you know underneath it all you're still a bad ass rebel, man, still fightin' the good fight.

Originally posted by camus154

Originally posted by Vandettas
I sag my pants all the time. At school, home, outside; pretty much everywhere. You don't like it? Stop staring at my ass. How about we throw you in jail because we don't like that you wear your clothes "proper". Who's to say it isn't proper? Oh I see, because everyone else wears their clothes "proper", you have to do it too? People love hating on someone different.

Freedom kids.

edit on 12-4-2012 by Vandettas because: (no reason given)

You're such a rebel, guy. Wearing your pants all saggy like and being so different from everyone else and making such a statement and stuff.

Right on, man. Keep fightin' the power.

Oh, but you may not want to break the law and then go before a judge with your bad ass, different self. Or, you know, like on a job interview. Or maybe when meeting your girlfriend's parents for the first time.

I mean, I know it's really important being a bad ass and expressing your individuality all the time, but sometimes part of growing up means realizing when you have to fake it for your own benefit.

So sagging pants is breaking the law? Who said I was a badass? Hmmm, I didn't, I think you just did. I'm making a statement so if you don't like it, don't listen, I really don't care.

Originally posted by Vandettas
So sagging pants is breaking the law? Who said I was a badass? Hmmm, I didn't, I think you just did. I'm making a statement so if you don't like it, don't listen, I really don't care.

edit on 12-4-2012 by Vandettas because: (no reason given)

Dude, I totallly get it. You're making a statement, man. I dig it. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.