Juror Fashion - What Does It Mean?

Jurors showed up today donning sports team wear for the Drew Peterson trial. It is not as uncommon as you might think for jurors to get all matchy matchy during trial. At the Edwards trial, jurors had red, purple, grey and even black days. Sports jerseys were seen recently in a murder trial in an east coast courtroom. Scooter Libby faced a jury dressed in Valentine apparel shortly before his conviction. There are likely dozens of other unreported instances of ‘team jury’ apparel.

 

What does it mean? It could mean the jurors are just messing with us. They want some attention, are releasing tension or have started to bond on a hostage level. Most likely they are trying to amuse themselves. Being admonished daily not to discuss the case and running out of weather (it is just hot) conversation, they have taken to game playing. Think of it as a long boring car trip. You find other ways to entertain yourselves. They are no doubt tired of counting the number of ‘uhms’, guessing what color tie will be worn by which attorney and pondering lunch. But unless they show up in matching orange jump suits…don’t read too much into jury fashion.