A San Antonio lawyer has sparked a heated online debate after saying a judge criticized her sleeveless J.Crew dress and told her it was inappropriate for court.
Mariah Medina, a Texas-based criminal defense attorney and former investigative reporter, shared a picture and a video of the dress in question in a post on X Monday.
The gray shift dress was made from suit-style material, had no sleeves and ended just above the knee.
In a caption accompanying photos of the outfit, the lawyer wrote: “This is what I was wearing today when a judge said that I was inappropriately dressed for court.”
“It’s a dress I’ve worn on air countless times and a dress that I have worn to other courts without issue.”
The lawyer, Medina, who is in her early 30s, said she was confused by the criticism and explained to the judge that she was wearing a shift dress.
According to Medina, Judge Yolanda Huff then asked her to walk around the bench so she could inspect the outfit in front of defendants and other attorneys.
“She laughed and asked if I really believed that my dress was appropriate for a jury trial,” Medina said, adding that the judge then asked whether she had a blazer in her car.
Medina said the judge laughed at her and called her courtroom attire inappropriate during the proceeding.
Medina posted an older video of herself wearing the same dress, saying it showed there was nothing inappropriate about the outfit.
She also shared a photograph and video of the sleeveless dress she wore in court on Monday with her followers on X.
Medina described the exchange as “disappointing” and said she had never experienced anything similar before.
A male coworker who was in the Bexar County courtroom told Medina that he believed the judge had acted inappropriately and offered to serve as a witness, she said in an exclusive statement to the DailyMail.
“I’ve received messages from sitting Bexar County judges who believe my dress was perfectly fine for court,” Medina said. “I’ve received messages from defense lawyers who have also voiced their support and approval of my dress.”
The defense lawyer’s account quickly spread online, prompting a fierce discussion over courtroom dress codes and whether the judge’s criticism was justified.
“Just throw on a sweater or blazer. Bare arms are not appropriate for business or legal proceedings,” one person wrote.
Another commenter said the dress was “very fitted” and argued that courtroom business attire should be “ultra conservative,” adding: “Wear a blazer.”
“It’s not professional dress. How can you not know this?” another user wrote.
One commenter also sided with the judge, writing: “Honestly, I side with the judge. A blazer would’ve been appropriate.”
Other users, however, defended Medina and disagreed with the judge’s assessment.
“That dress is modest and looks like standard professional attire. Embarrassing her in front of a courtroom is the real problem,” one X user wrote.
Someone else agreed: ‘If that dress is acceptable in one courtroom but not another, how is anyone meant to know where the line is? If a judge has a dress rule, put it in writing and apply it to everyone,’ another chimed in.
According to the State Bar of Texas, the dress code in court can vary from county to county.
The Bexar County Court room rules state: ‘All attorneys and court officials shall wear business attire while in Court. Business casual attire shall be permitted at the discretion of the Court,’ according to their website.
‘In any event, judges have broad authority to maintain courtroom decorum but when an expectation is unwritten, lawyers should receive professional notice, not public humiliation,’ Medina said.
Going forward, the lawyer will comply with the judge’s personal expectations and cover her shoulders, but she specified that her willingness to do so doesn’t excuse the original treatment.
‘It’s not lost on me that we are talking about bare arms… I thought Texas had the strongest right to bear arms in the country. Evidently, when it comes to arms, it stops at the elbow,’ Medina said lightheartedly.
Our News Outlet has reached out to Judge Yolanda Huff for comment.
