ALL OF THIS HAPPENING BECAUSE WE HAVE TO BE POLITICALLY CORRECT IN THE COURTROOMS NOW. NO HANDCUFFS, NO SHACKELS, NO ORANGE JUMPSUIT. SO THE JURY WON'T BE PREJUDICED!!!!
Well, the next jury (if this guy lives and is brought to trial) won't care if the guy is brought in naked! There will be prejudice, and it will be PC (POSITIVELY CORRECT)!
Was the jury present in the courtroom?
Generally, the person is unshackled when the jury is present or in the jury is only going to be out momentarily.
What I have seen done in one situaiton is to keep the defendant shackled, but in street clothes, the legs are hidden from the jury by a "modesty skirt" which goes around the table. The defendant and lawyers are instructed not to stand when the jury enters or leaves the room so as not to see the shackles. There was always an armed deputy in the back of the room. But that was just one unique incident.
I am just saying lets not knee jerk on this, because the reality is that the uneducated illiterates that populate the jury pools would be prejudiced by a defendant in a prison garb and shackles.