There’s a sign on the fourth floor of the Sedgwick County Courthouse advising people on what to wear when they arrive to have their cases heard on the state of their marriages, child custody and other personal domestic issues.
The sign advises people what not to wear — including swimwear. Really.
There’s a reason: judges and court guards say during the summer some people, especially women, have been known to show up straight from the pool, with only a t-shirt covering their swimsuits.
Judges, lawyers and other court officers wear suits and professional businesswear. Evidently some of their clients need more than just legal advice.
Across the street at City Hall, judges who hear the Wichita misdemeanor cases are so used to skimpy dress, they issue white t-shirts emblazoned with “Property of Municipal Court” to those who aren’t properly covered.