Jail garb not enough for a new trial, court says

DETROIT (AP) -- The Michigan Supreme Court says criminal defendants have a right to wear their Sunday best at trial. But in the case of a Wayne County man, jail clothes aren't enough to overturn a conviction. The court last week declined to upset the conviction of Sanford Davis, who in 2011 was found guilty of an assault that put a man in a nursing home. On the day of trial, his lawyer brought a better set of clothes to court, but Judge Daniel Patrick Ryan wouldn't allow the change, saying it was against policy and a security risk. The judge said Davis should have changed his clothes in jail. He was told to turn his shirt inside out to hide any jail identification from the jury. Published: Tue, Oct 8, 2013