DETROIT (FN) — A Detroit police officer startled a judge and courtroom observers by appearing without pants during a virtual hearing at the city’s 36th District Court.
Officer Matthew Jackson, dressed in his uniform shirt and badge, joined the online session from what appeared to be his home. The lower half of his body, visible on camera, was bare.
Judge Sean Perkins paused the proceedings and asked, “You got some pants on, officer?” Jackson replied, “No, sir,” before adjusting his camera to conceal his legs.
The hearing involved a case unrelated to Jackson, who was attending in a professional capacity. The incident was recorded and quickly circulated online, prompting widespread reaction.
Detroit Police Department officials acknowledged the episode and said it would be addressed internally. They did not confirm whether disciplinary action would follow.
Court officials expressed concern over decorum in virtual proceedings, which have become more common since the COVID-19 pandemic. The judge later described the moment as “unprecedented.”
“It’s a jarring breach of courtroom etiquette,” said Professor Linda Carver, a legal ethics scholar at Wayne State University. “Even in virtual settings, officers are expected to uphold the dignity of the institutions they represent.”
Social media users were divided, with some mocking the incident and others defending Jackson’s apparent lapse. “He’s human, but he’s also a representative of the law,” one commenter wrote.
