Dress formally, in a suit, or go with a business-casual ensemble. You would not believe the kind of outfits I see during the course of my practice in Cook County, where I’m in court usually two or three days a week. Don’t rent a tuxedo, but seriously, leave the yoga pants and tattered jeans at home. You’ve probably heard it before, but take it to heart: DRESS NICELY. Otherwise, they might tell you not to worry about it. Your attorney will likely know the personality of the judge in your case, or will be able to find out, so if the attorney feels that the judge is rather conservative and will not appreciate such forms of art, he or she might advise makeup. Consulting your attorney would probably be prudent in that case. If you have a smaller design on your face, consider some concealer and foundation, or don’t bother. If you’ve got ink on your hands or someplace similarly conspicuous, there’s not a whole lot you can do, so do your best not to call attention to it. If you’ve got something inked on your arms or legs, wear long sleeves or long pants. Again, the courthouse is not the place to express your individuality. Granted, a peace sign on your wrist is not going to raise as many eyebrows as a dagger inked onto your cheek, but I hope you take the point. But play it safe and take them out before court. Keep them in the car and put them on as soon as you’re done – that’s your business. The courthouse is not the place to express your individuality.
So you know that cute tragis piercing that always gets you complimented? The multiple silver hoops usually lining the shell of your ear? That tongue piercing, or that stud in your nose? Take them out. Your attorney can afford to walk in at 10:00AM: he or she may have had a morning commitment, or may be very familiar with the judge, and very likely has a Sheriff’s ID that allows him or her to bypass the lines. Aside from the obvious hang-ups like traffic, there are often long lines to get into the courthouse. If the time of the call is 9:30, aim to be at least 20 minutes early. It does not matter that, according to your attorney or according to your own personal experience, nothing gets rolling at your particular courthouse until 10:10. You are told that your court date is at 9:30AM.
And your first appearance in court with your attorney, before the judge and the prosecutor, is very important. It may seem like not much happens on the first court date, but a lot does. Usually, the first court date consists of us filing an appearance, receiving any discovery that the state has, or setting a discovery status date so that the state has about a month to procure and tender the first batch of discovery. It’s important that clients are adequately prepared for court.
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