Detroit judge scolds construction worker for wearing T-shirt during virtual hearing while at work

DETROIT (FOX 2) - A Detroit judge scolded a construction worker for showing up to a virtual hearing in a T-shirt while at a job site.

"I don't do sweats and I don't do T-shirts in my courtroom," Judge Ronald Giles said.

When the defendant said he was at work, Giles said he didn't care.

"If you come to court, you dress for court because in my court, if you don't dress for court, I'm gonna dress you," he said. "Which means I send you to Wayne County Jail and let them dress you."

"My take is that it’s not a good look for the court. That’s not normally how court cases are conducted," said William McConico, the chief judge at the 36th District Court. "I would say that a lot of judges would have made an exception because his work attire is construction. This is my work attire, you’re in yours. We are all in different professions."

McConico said Giles didn't break any rules, but he will be meeting with the judges to discuss the incident.

After Giles' comments, an unknown woman spoke up to defend the construction worker. She was not a defendant nor a witness, the defendant said he didn't know her, and it is unclear why she was in the hearing.

"There was no punishment to the defendant for being at work, and I don’t know if they even know who the person was who was advocating for him," McConico said. "That’s still a cliffhanger right now."