Going to court? Leave your flip flops, sunglasses and dirty T-shirt at home.

The judges of the Butler County Court of Common Pleas have adopted a dress code.

“It's about respect,” said Judge Timothy McCune, who initiated the decorum policy.

McCune, who presides over criminal court proceedings, said our culture is becoming more casual. And in recent years that attitude has impacted the clothing choices of the people who appear in front of him.

But some people take the lax attitude to extremes, dressing with excessive skin showing, in T-shirts with slogans about illegal drugs or in noticeably dirty clothing. All those items are prohibited in court under the new rule.

“Maybe I'm old fashioned, but that just isn't right in my opinion,” McCune said. “I'm not asking anybody to go out and buy a $500 suit. I just want people to show respect for the seriousness of why we are all here.”

Also forbidden are tank tops and tube tops, sports jerseys and clothing that displays obscene or racists messages. A complete list of forbidden fashion is posted at the entrance of each courtroom. Attorneys are to tell their clients in advance.

Already, defendants who are in the Butler County Prison are permitted to wear their own dress clothes or choose for trial and jury selection from dress outfits that have been donated by the community.

Each judge is free to enforce the rule as he sees fit. The new policy is predicated by a July 1 Code of Judicial Conduct directive by the state's Supreme Court.

Within a week of that rule, county President Judge Thomas Doerr sent a memorandum to each of the county's five judges noting McCune's policy and stating, “As judges we are the final authority for determining proper decorum for the courtroom. Having a set of rules to follow is a step toward maintaining that decorum, and helping individuals understand how their appearance is an important element of their expression of respect for the court.”

Doerr in an interview said, generally speaking, outfit choices are not an issue in family court or civil court, where already people are trying to put a good foot forward.

But in criminal court, “they are forced to be there, and often they don't make good decisions.”