Most times, lawyers try to pick an array of people, so figuring out what to wear to not get picked can be tricky.
In addition to that, clothing alone is not a single criterion for getting picked or not, yet it tends to play a huge role in the decision.
It is because lawyers can make surface judgments about your personality based on your clothing.
The general rule of thumb is to wear something simple, like a t-shirt, or something religious like head covering if you want to not get picked for jury duty.
It is important to note that it is your right to serve on the jury when you are called to do so as a civilian.
Like it or not, as an adult, there are high chances that you will get called. However, there is a slim chance of actually becoming a juror. So, after being contacted, you do not want to sit on a trial.
Let’s look at what other clothes to wear to jury duty, to not get picked for that trial.
What To Wear Not To Get Picked
1. Logos and Offensive Wording
If you are looking to join part of the jury, wearing clothing with some inscriptions might disqualify you. Like accessories with prominent slogans, logos, and offensive wording. If, in any way, your attire sends abusive messages, the court will ask you to leave.
2. Beach Wears
If you desire to be a juror for that trial, you want to get past the selection stage by avoiding any form of beach attire. Beach clothing’s like
- Tank tops
- Shorts
- Flip flops
- Crop tops on low-waist pants or skirts
- Short skirts
- Dresses that expose the shoulders
- Clothes that are too revealing
Wearing any of the above attire might warrant you being asked to leave the court.
3. Open-Toed Footwear and Sandals
Although sandals and opened-toed footwear aren’t as casual (change) as flip flops, we highly recommend that you opt for corporate shoes. Judges and lawyers will not scrutinize your clothing alone. They will go all the way down to your feet.
Aside from being professional in your appearance, you want to go for covered shoes. It is because most jury rooms are usually cold. And exposing your toes might make it faster for you to get too cold and uncomfortable. For these reasons, you want to go for close-toed shoes instead. (That is if your intention is to get picked)
4. Oversized Accessories
Among other things, the courtroom is synonymous with modesty and professionalism. You don’t want to stand out in an unprofessional manner. If you would like not to get picked as a juror, you can wear too many accessories. On the other hand, if you would like to get selected for the trial, we recommend that you tone down your jewelry.
5. Political and Religious Signs
The court doesn’t want anything that could impede your ability to view a case objectively. Appearing for selection with religious signs boldly planted on any part of your body might cause the lawyers to have second thoughts. It is because they will assume that your religious or political beliefs might influence your judgment.
You should not wear anything that would reveal your religious or political stand. Do this if you intend to get picked. Appearing as a neutral person will give you a higher chance of being selected. Attorneys might assume that your beliefs might make you bias.
Other Legal Ways that Help You not to Get Picked for Jury Duty
It is essential not to ignore jury summons. It is because there are penalties for not complying with a jury summon. However, rather than make it look evident in not wanting to be a juror, there are ways to get exempted legally. The following factors can help you get out of jury duty without inviting penalties.
1. School Excuses
If full-time students do not want to serve on the jury, the court exempts these students. (it happens in some states).
If you are not a student, you can get your way around this. Right after you’ve received your summon letter, you could sign up for a full-time course at an institution. Show up on selection day with this excuse.
Note that you cannot avoid showing up for selection after the court has invited you, so you show up with an excuse like that of being a full-time student.
2. Your Faith
Another legal excuse to give for not wanting to get picked as a juror is your faith. On the day of jury selection, you can bring this up. For instance, you can do this by explaining that your faith does not permit you to judge another person. Politely let them know that playing the time of a juror and judging is against your religion.
3. Knowing-It-All
No judge or lawyer wants to deal with a juror who acts like they know it all. Showing that you have a stubborn side to you will keep you from getting picked.
You don’t have to lie about being stubborn. Just express it. Expressing it will give the lawyers a second thought of allowing you to serve jury duty.
4. Serving Recently
Citizens have a duty of serving the jury once per an um. If you get served two times in one year, all you need is proof that you’ve served earlier. Doing this would give you an automatic exemption.
Ensure you correctly communicate the information. You want to be excused by the court officially.
5. Voice out Your Prejudice
Admit to the court that you can’t be fair. It is right to do this if you happen to have any bias that would influence your judgment. Impartial judgment is expected from jurors. If you have a bias against specific topics, simply let the court know this.
Do this on the day of jury selection. And try not to agree to go along with being a juror if you honestly cannot give fair verdicts. It will exempt you from serving in no time.
6. You Presently Don’t Live in the County
You are supposed to serve in the county of your residence. If you currently do not reside in the county where you are being asked to perform jury duty, let the court know of this.
7. Financial Hardship
Judges and attorneys understand that there are complexities of life. They are generally empathetic and can consider you. If you happen to be the sole breadwinner of your family, or you happen to bear responsibilities alone, you want to consider speaking up.
For instance, you earn $12 per hour at work. And the court is to give you a commission of $15 per day, the compensation from the court is nowhere near half of your income from work.
Politely communicate financial hardship to the judge. You can also let the court know of any other extreme difficulty you have. Any problem that can get worse if you have to serve jury duties.
What Lawyers Look Out for During Jury Selection
As it is, getting served a jury summon does not guarantee to be a juror. During jury selection, lawyers look out for certain things before exempting or picking you to help for the trial. Whether or not you will get selected depends on the case itself. However, there are some general things that lawyers put into consideration. Some of them are as follows:
1. They Pay Attention to Your Attitude
If an attorney can tell that you don’t like them, they get rid of you. In general, your vibe and attitude have a long way to go during jury selection. Humans generally will not like to work with a person who does not have good vibes.
If your attitude shows that you are not for them, they wouldn’t want to tame chances and have any negativity be transferred to their cases.
2.Your Hair and Clothing
If you intend not to make it on a jury, appear in an overly flashy manner. “You can’t judge a book by its cover” doesn’t exactly apply to how you’re viewed in the court. An attorney can judge your personality based on your hairstyle and dress attire.
The clothing and hairstyle you appear in can tell a lawyer whether you are receptive or uptight. You can occur in a jury selection with heavy accessories if you would like not to be selected.
3.Relationships
Your relationships influence your possibility of getting picked or not. If, for instance, you are related to anyone in a profession that is related to the case, attorneys might see this as a red flag. If you’ve got family or friends in law enforcement, you will most likely not get picked. It is because the court might assume that you might be biased in verdicts.
Conclusion
Serving jury duties is the responsibility of every citizen who is 18 years and above. However, for some reason, not everyone can afford to serve.
Causes can range from not wanting to be absent from other crucial responsibilities like jobs, caring for a dependent family, and so on.
If you desire not to get picked for jury duty, among other factors, what you wear can influence this. I believe this article has given you some tips on how not to get picked for jury duty.