Mariah Medina reports that a judge reprimanded her for wearing a sleeveless dress in the middle of the courtroom "inappropriate attire"
The former television reporter and current criminal defense attorney claims that the judge asked her to approach the bench to inspect her attire in front of other lawyers and defendants.
Mariah Medina reported that a judge questioned her clothing during a hearing in a Bexar County court. According to her account, the judge considered a gray sleeveless dress that left her arms exposed to be inappropriate and asked her to approach the bench so it could be examined more closely in front of other lawyers and defendants.
The incident occurred during a brief hearing and was later recounted by the lawyer on her X account , where she also posted a photograph of the dress. The garment, she explained, had already been worn on numerous occasions during her time as a journalist and in other courtrooms without anyone objecting to its appearance. Her post also sparked numerous reactions on social media about dress codes in courtrooms.
The dress that sparked the conflict
The garment is a gray straight-cut sleeveless J.Crew dress with a length close to the knee . After the judge questioned her appearance, Medina explained that it was a shift dress.
According to her account, the judge laughed and asked her whether she really considered that clothing appropriate for a jury trial and whether she had a jacket in her car.
In her post, the attorney also questioned the way the reprimand was delivered. "She made me turn around at the bench so she could see my outfit… in front of the defendants and the other attorneys", she wrote. Medina described the situation as disappointing and noted that it was the first time she had faced an episode of this kind since she was licensed to practice.
What the regulation establishes
The rules of the Bexar County criminal courts establish that attorneys and judicial officers must wear formal attire during sessions. The regulations also provide for the possibility of wearing business casual attire when the corresponding judge permits it, so there is room for discretion within each courtroom.
According to Medina herself, the dress did not violate the rules that were posted at the entrance to the courtroom.
The lawyer also posted an old video in which she appears wearing the same garment during her time as a journalist and stated that she did not regret having worn it. At the same time, she acknowledged that she would wear a jacket if necessary to appear before that judge.
