Florida wants judges wearing one color

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — It’ll be back in black for any Florida judge who wore a robe of a different color.

The state Supreme Court ordered last Thursday that all judicial robes must be black, period. The court also forbade judges from wearing any accessories, such as jewelry.

The court reasoned that varying colors might raise questions about one judge’s status compared to another, or whether a particular hue might indicate a judge’s mood or attitude that day.

One Miami-Dade County judge had been wearing blue, explaining she was trying to lighten the mood. A judge in north Florida had been wearing camouflage.

The Florida justices say wearing unadorned black robes promotes trust and confidence in the fairness of the state’s legal system and is an indicator of the seriousness of court.