The surprising reasons judges like their robes: Star Wars, the Wizard of Oz and fashion

The Washington Examiner ^ | March 17, 2017 | Ryan Lovelace

[kevcol]

Most judges appear to enjoy wearing robes, but many of the reasons why they do have next to nothing to do with their profession.

The National Judicial College interviewed 1,250 of its alumni and found 83 percent of them enjoyed wearing judicial robes to work. More than 20 percent of the respondents offered their reasons, ranging from "I look awesome in black. That's why I became a judge," to "I like the way it moves like Dracula's cape as I walk quickly down corridors."
.
.
.
Other judges chose not wear robes to avoid letting power go to their heads, and a few mentioned they avoid wearing the garments around children for fear of intimidating them.

[kevcol]

and then there's this:

[Ray76]

Should be immediate disbarment

[FlingWingFlyer]

That isn’t no judge. That a wacky, liberal activist fruitcake. A loon.

[left that other site]

Interesting!

About 35 years ago, I worked at a church supply store that sold robes.

Some of the most liberal, left-wing, atheistic, luke-warm, watered-down, God-denying, liberation-theology, communist, feminist, apostate “ministers” were extremely fussy about getting just the right robe, complete with brocade collars, rainbow stoles, black velvet doctor bars on the sleeves, and beautiful moire’ silk linings and piping.

All that drama to preach to the dead.

[Ciaphas Cain]

[lgjhn23]

I figured it was because they were primarily evil, god-less POS and wanted everyone to know it. There is a reason that they’re the first to be hung in any successful revolution.

[AmusedBystander]

I think they should have to wear the white powdered wigs as well.

Either that or go all "gangsta" with lots and lots of tattoo work.

[veracious]

Black shirt/robes and brown shirts growing in power; bringing destruction to USA.

[Wallace T.]

Except for the Anglicans, who retained many of the Catholic vestments, the preferred attire for many clergymen within the Reformation era Protestant denominations was the simple, black Geneva robe, similar to the judges' attire in the United States. The purpose of such a garment was to convey authority in the religious context as judges do in the civil arena. Evangelical clergy, such as Baptists and the Churches of Christ, thought this attire still had the effect of placing ministers of the Gospel as a special anointed class, like the Catholic Holy Orders, but without the formal sacrament.

Liberal Protestants, having abandoned the Bible as the sole authority for doctrine and church government, still wanted the appearance of authority. So they emphasized and doubled down on robes, reintroducing the liturgical colors long used by Catholics and Anglicans and other accouterments to the simple, traditional robe. The modern association of robes with liberalism caused many evangelicals among Presbyterians, Methodists, and others, to reject them in their breakaway denominations.

[Oratam]

Here's the first Chief Jusitce of the Supreme Court, John Jay, wearing what all justices of the Supreme Court wore:

Here's Associate Justice William Cushing wearing the same rig wth wig!

Chief Justice John Marshall was the first to ditch wig and opt for a simple black robe. I think we should grateful.

[V K Lee]

Lately, it would seem they might rip off the black robes and begin to wear bath robes when ‘doing their job’ Not one would know the difference.

[Polynikes]

The legal department at IBM.

[Polynikes]

The legal department at IBM.

[minnesota_bound]

None are wearing clothes underneath.....

[left that other site]

Makes sense.