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Who wears short shorts?

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Illinois

* Umm…

A Southern Illinois courthouse is relaxing its dress code to allow visitors to wear shorts — if they’re long enough.

Jefferson County officials began enforcing a new dress code this week. The rules also banned pajamas, house slippers, hats, tank tops, muscle shirts and halter tops along with inappropriate or offensive logos.

But officials now say they’re relaxing the shorts ban to include “appropriate” items. But too-short shorts are still verboten — if their hemline is above a person’s fingertips when their arms are extended at their sides.

So, what if somebody has really short arms?

posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Aug 21, 13 @ 10:56 am

Comments

The anti-T Rex lobby strikes again.

Comment by Soccermom Wednesday, Aug 21, 13 @ 11:00 am
===So, what if somebody has really short arms?===

Everybody else will be getting a good looking view.

Well, maybe not…

Comment by Been There Wednesday, Aug 21, 13 @ 11:00 am
Who wears shorts to a courthouse? Honestly?

Comment by so... Wednesday, Aug 21, 13 @ 11:02 am
The nuns at my high school used to make girls kneel and if the hem of their skirt didn’t touch the floor, they got sent home.

Fun haters.

Comment by 47th Ward Wednesday, Aug 21, 13 @ 11:02 am
Do flip-flops fall under the house slipper clause?

Comment by Excessively Rabid Wednesday, Aug 21, 13 @ 11:03 am
Am I the only one disappointed that this post wasn’t a caption contest?

Comment by 47th Ward Wednesday, Aug 21, 13 @ 11:06 am
You see all kinds of weird things in court. I saw a gal in pajamas one time. That instills a lot of confidence from the judge, I’m sure. I’d kick some of these people out of my courtroom if I were the judge. Decorum and respect are apparently four letter words to some people.

Comment by Demoralized Wednesday, Aug 21, 13 @ 11:06 am
“Dear Jefferson County,

If I can’t wear shorts when I golf at certain places, then shorts should be banned at court.

Hit ‘em straight,

Tom Cross”

Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Aug 21, 13 @ 11:07 am
=== Who wears shorts to a courthouse? Honestly? ===

I think you’d be surprised what some people wear to court, even if they are the defendants. Remember this woman:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/05/24/jennifer-lapenta-contempt_n_587984.html

Still I’m not a big fan of courts of imposing dress codes.

Comment by Just Observing Wednesday, Aug 21, 13 @ 11:09 am
===Who wears shorts to a courthouse? ===

If I’m going in to pay a property tax payment, and it was summer, I’d be wearing shorts.

Comment by Rich Miller Wednesday, Aug 21, 13 @ 11:11 am
==
If I’m going in to pay a property tax payment, and it was summer, I’d be wearing shorts.==

I’d wrap myself in a “Don’t Tread on Me” flag. But that’s just me.

Comment by Demoralized Wednesday, Aug 21, 13 @ 11:13 am
taking it in the shorts w property taxes–seems appropriate to wear them. but clerical functions are different than appearing in a court room, even if it is in the courthouse generally.

Comment by langhorne Wednesday, Aug 21, 13 @ 11:14 am
Rich—Is this the courthouse or courtroom? Courtroom makes sense. Courthouse…thats another matter.

Comment by Friedman Wednesday, Aug 21, 13 @ 11:15 am
===courthouse or courtroom===

Courthouse.

Comment by Rich Miller Wednesday, Aug 21, 13 @ 11:17 am
Admit it. You did this post just so you could use that title.

Comment by Montrose Wednesday, Aug 21, 13 @ 11:23 am
Similar to the ban that the nuns at our high school enforced that a boy’s hair could not touch his shirt collar. Except my (now) husband’s hair was the caucasian afro that just grew up and up and up. Ah, the 70’s!

Comment by 32nd Ward Roscoe Village Wednesday, Aug 21, 13 @ 11:24 am
Men’s shorts suit:

http://jerseygirlonstrike.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/short-suit-two.jpg

Comment by Cheswick Wednesday, Aug 21, 13 @ 11:30 am
Think of all the NBA players from pre 1990 who would not be allowed in the courthouse.

Comment by A guy... Wednesday, Aug 21, 13 @ 11:33 am
I see this as primarily inconveniencing lawyers.

The attorneys show up, pro se person is not appropriately dressed and gets sent home, attorney has now wasted an hour or so.

If a judge enters an order, the judge is going to reverse it when the person shows up.

Better to just have the judge yell at people for not having the judgment to act like adults when coming into the courthouse. It saves everybody time.

Comment by Skeeter Wednesday, Aug 21, 13 @ 11:35 am
47th Ward, your nuns were nice. We couldn’t get sent home no matter what we did! They did however keep tissue paper that they would pin to our hems to make sure the skirt did reach the floor. Plus you received demerits requiring additional time be spent at school. Sent home? That would have been heaven.

Comment by bobby dylan Wednesday, Aug 21, 13 @ 11:49 am
50 years ago, you’d be ridiculed and stared at for wearing shorts to church in summer…now it’s pretty common in many denominations. Aaah, the decorum.

Comment by Six Degrees of Separation Wednesday, Aug 21, 13 @ 11:57 am
This sounds like my high school. Criminy. Don’t their security people have anything better to do than wield rulers?

Comment by Joan P. Wednesday, Aug 21, 13 @ 12:00 pm
This runs a bit shy of being allowed to wear the clothes of my people approach to courthouse fashion.

Comment by Aldyth Wednesday, Aug 21, 13 @ 12:13 pm
Who defines an “inappropriate or offensive logo”?

@Soccermom - I think it’s the small mammals. They’re planning to take over the world after the environmental destruction.

Oh, wait, that’s the cockroaches waiting to take over from us. Sorry ’bout those T-Rexes.

Comment by Realist Wednesday, Aug 21, 13 @ 12:21 pm
- 47th Ward - Wednesday, Aug 21, 13 @ 11:06 am:

Am I the only one disappointed that this post wasn’t a caption contest?

=============================

We had that one already, with Bill Daley.

Comment by Cincinnatus Wednesday, Aug 21, 13 @ 12:41 pm
I think it’s time for the human species to quit fussing about the cloths that a person chooses to put over their physical being. No one ever asked me if I thought it would be a a good idea to tie a decorative strap of material around my neck, yet others (heard followers) require me to do this in certain situations (court, business). The people who came up with this idea (neck tie) aren’t even living now, but we are still blindly following their rules with out asking why. I say we burn all neck ties.

Comment by Luggie Wednesday, Aug 21, 13 @ 1:48 pm
“So, what if somebody has really short arms?”

They get an assist from the long arm of the law.

Comment by Shark Cyclone Wednesday, Aug 21, 13 @ 2:12 pm
“hemline is above a person’s fingertips when their arms are extended at their sides.”
Just for the record, I have fairly long arms (or so I have been told). When I do this, my fingertips are 3-4 inches above the top of my kneecap. My shorts are still longer, but cut another few inches and they’re not.

Comment by Timmeh Wednesday, Aug 21, 13 @ 2:56 pm
===Who wears shorts to a courthouse? ===

=If I’m going in to pay a property tax payment, and it was summer, I’d be wearing shorts.=

I believe that would violate the state’s obscenity laws Rich!

Comment by Empty Suit Wednesday, Aug 21, 13 @ 3:28 pm
I was afraid this would be a Pat Quinn caption contest.

Comment by AlphaBettor Wednesday, Aug 21, 13 @ 3:37 pm
Short arms? That has a bad connotation in some parts. I won’t go any further.

Comment by dupage dan Wednesday, Aug 21, 13 @ 4:05 pm
Once, again. Nothing like living in Southern Illinois!!

Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Aug 21, 13 @ 9:32 pm
= So, what if somebody has really short arms? =

Jackpot!!!!!

Comment by TCB Thursday, Aug 22, 13 @ 8:20 am