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Dallas Officer Amber Guyger's trial for the murder of Botham Shem Jean begins (FOUND GUILTY)

https://www.star-telegram.com/news/local/community/dallas/article219241380.html

Pastor shouts a prayer over rowdy protesters in event marking Botham Jean’s birthday

Protesters demanding justice for Botham Jean on what would have been his 27th birthday made a town hall event held to discuss his shooting death, and police shootings in general, a heated affair at times.

What began as a somewhat somber event at St. Paul United Methodist Church on 1816 Routh Street in Dallas, marked with calls for justice for Jean, quickly became heated as protestors demanded that the manslaughter charge against Officer Amber Guyger, who said she mistakenly shot Jean on Sept. 7 and who was fired earlier this week, be swiftly upgraded to murder.

Shouts of “no justice, no peace!” occasionally filled the small, 145-year-old church packed with about 200 people, many of them wearing T-shirts in support of Jean with slogans such as “Off the Police” and carrying signs and banners. Among their ranks were nine women recently arrested in a Jean protest in Arlington.

Pastor Ritchie Butler said it was the first time he’d ever prayed over a group of shouting protesters. And he’s not sure they came away with a better understanding of the legal processes at work in Jean’s case, but he said something else was accomplished.

“I think people who are frustrated need to have an outlet,” he said after the event ended shortly after 2 p.m.. “It’s our job to sometimes just listen.

“I’d rather people scream than there be violence,” he said.

Dallas County district attorney Faith Johnson went progressively hoarse as she tried to explain the role her office plays in Jean’s due process.

Protestors seemed unsatisfied by her explanation that her office’s Public Integrity Unit was trying to amend the charge of manslaughter brought against Guyger after an investigation by the Texas Rangers.

“Some DA’s offices won’t even take cases like this to a grand jury,” Johnson said. “It’s about equal justice, people, that’s what it’s all about.”

She said that the $300,000 bond her office set for Guyger was the maximum amount, to which a female protester shouted, “She shouldn’t have gotten a bond, she’s a murderer!”

Later, visibly frustrated, Johnson told protesters, “I can’t just change the charge to murder today. That’s why I’m going to a grand jury.”

Protesters also shouted angrily when Johnson told them she couldn’t reveal when her investigators would approach the grand jury, as it meets, by law, at undisclosed times.

Jean family attorney Ben Crump expressed confidence in Johnson, pointing to her performance in the Roy Oliver case recently.

And journalist Roland Martin, who took over hosting duties, said that it’s important to get the charges right when there’s a question of whether an officer has killed a civilian without justification.

“I’ve covered numerous occasions like this. When DAs don’t pursue the right charge, it creates the space for the officer to get off,” said Martin, a former Star-Telegram reporter and now host of the internet news show Roland Martin Unfiltered.

Johnson was part of a panel that also included Democratic State Sen. Royce West of District 23, civil rights attorney Justin Moore, Dominque Alexander of Next Generation Action Network and La’Shadion Shemwell, an activist and McKinney city council member.

Also on hand were attorneys Lee Merritt and Daryl Washington, other members of the Jean family legal team.

After leading a chant of “Justice for Botham Jean,” Shemwell said, “I understand (Dallas police chief) Renee Hall’s mother is ill, and I would want her to be by her mother’s side,” but he said police should have sent a representative to the event.

The only Dallas police presence inside the church was an officer on hand to provide security.

And the only city council member who showed up hadn’t even been invited, but said he turned up because he read about the event on social media.

Leaders say changes must be made
Councilmember Kevin Felder took on a shouting crowd of protesters to say that he would ask the city council to address the Dallas police department’s 72-hour policy, which allows officers involved in shootings to have three days to prepare for an inquest by police internal affairs.

West, who helped pioneer the use of dash and body cameras by Texas law enforcement agencies, said more work must be done in the Legislature so that officers aren’t allowed to review dash and body cam footage before making statements to investigators.

“The attorney general has said that police officers have the authority to look at body cam footage before making a statement. We have to fix that,” West said.

He also called for black citizens to vote more and to serve on juries more, calls that were criticized by protesters and Shemwell.

“We blame ourselves, we say ‘we’re not voting,’” Shemwell said. “This has nothing to do with your vote, this has everything to do with trigger-happy police.”

Regarding jury service, he said: “Black people can’t afford to miss a day’s work. We’ve got to pay our jury people the right way.”

Alexander said that due process always seems to take longer in cases when police have shot black people.

‘All the world is watching Dallas, Texas’
Allison Jean, Botham Jean’s mother, called in from the island of St. Lucia before the question-and-answer session with the panel.

“Dallas, I thank you immensely for continuing to seek justice for Botham,” she said, broadcast over the church’s public address system.

“I can’t march with you, but I continue to fight in every way I can,” she said.

She joined Butler and her legal team in calling for all protests to remain peaceful.

“We have to continue what Botham would have stood for, and he would have stood for peace,” she said.

“I know nothing that is done for me can bring back the son that I had. But I know that he is with his Lord,” she said.

“I also want to tell you that the St. Lucian diaspora around the world is uniting to show disgust for what has been done to Botham,” she added, mentioning planned protests in Australia, London, Canada, New York City, Atlanta and Florida.

“We have received cards from as far as Mexico,” Allison Jean said. “This is an international affair, and the entire world is watching. The slogan that the United States must be great again can only be realized when police officers in the United States respect its black citizens.”

Crump added, “Even though they killed Botham at Southside Flats, he did not die. All the world is watching Dallas, Texas.”
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https://www.dallasnews.com/news/dal...-botham-jeans-family-doesnt-want-want-justice

'Dallas is no longer a pleasure': Botham Jean's family doesn't want to be here, but they do want justice



Trips to Dallas were once a joyous reunion for the Jean family. It meant spending time with their son, Botham Jean.

Allison and Bertrum Jean now travel here from their home country of St. Lucia out of duty. They came to ensure justice for their son, who was killed in his own apartment.

Returning to Dallas this week, "just opened the wound even deeper" than when they flew in after Jean was killed Sept. 6. Dallas police officer Amber Guyger had just left work but was in uniform when, she said, she mistook his apartment in the Cedars for her own and thought he was a burglar.

"I’m afraid Dallas is no longer a pleasure,” Allison Jean told The Dallas Morning News. “I have to do it. I will do it. It is not a place that I wanted to be.”

After the searing shock of grief, the couple find themselves going through the motions of life: doing what must be done and finding no joy in it. They must figure out how to cope without their 26-year-old son, who planned to return to their island in the Caribbean one day and run for prime minister.

After meeting Tuesday with Dallas County District Attorney Faith Johnson, the couple drove through downtown Dallas, their path dotted with painful landmarks.

They drove past Lamar Street — where their son lived. A quick turn south would have taken them to the apartment where Guyger shot him as he watched football in the dark.

They have no desire to return to the South Side Flats, where their son lived on the fourth floor, directly above Guyger's home. His apartment still holds his belongings, most of which the family will donate. Their son, an accountant who wanted to right wrongs and help others, would have wanted that.

'Too emotional'
Bertrum Jean, 54, hasn't returned to work managing the water and sewer department.

“I tried it, and it was too emotional for me,” Bertrum Jean said. “Unable to concentrate.”

Maybe next week, he said. “God willing.”

"I am not able to enjoy a meal since it happened. I have no appetite because my son was taken away in such a way," Bertum Jean said. "I eat just because I have to eat. But I don’t enjoy a meal anymore, knowing that he could not enjoy what I am enjoying."

They have tried to make life as normal as possible for their youngest child, 17-year-old Brandt.

He went back to school and finds solace at the gym. He talks to a counselor from Dallas every day by phone. They also talk as a family. That helps all of them.

“We’ve been rallied around by our friends and relatives and church members,” Bertrum Jean said. “That has been helping us through this difficult period.”

Brandt planned to come to the United States for college next year. Possibly in New York where the Jeans' daughter lives with her husband and three sons. Now the family isn't so sure. And others in St. Lucia are second guessing coming here, said Allison Jean, 51.

Fear outweighs the desire for better educational opportunities.

The Jeans also worry about their grandsons growing up in the United States. They're 3, 10 and 15. Allison Jean was visiting them when Botham Jean was killed. Her husband was at their home in St. Lucia.

"Persons are scared about sending their kids to the United States when they think of situations like Botham," said Allison Jean, a former government official in St. Lucia. "Botham tried his best to do everything right. He was not walking or running or driving. He was in his own apartment. Alone. And he gets killed there. I think it's a lesson for everyone."

Guyger was arrested on a manslaughter charge three days after she killed Botham Jean. Dallas Police Chief U. Renee Hall fired Guyger 15 days after that. Jean's parents are pushing for Guyger to be charged with murder, which Dallas criminal attorneys say is more appropriate because she intended to shoot Jean. In Texas, manslaughter is a reckless act.

The Jeans said they were comforted and satisfied after meeting with Johnson this week. But neither they nor the district attorney would say whether that meant prosecutors would pursue a murder charge.

Guyger's attorney, Robert Rogers, has said Guyger is "completely devastated by what happened" and described the shooting as "a tragic mistake."

Guyger said the door to Jean's apartment was unlocked and ajar, but the Jeans say their son would have shut and locked it. The Jeans also question Guyger's account and have doubts that she mistakenly went to the wrong apartment.

Remember Botham Jean
Six weeks have passed since Guyger killed Jean. His parents know people are moving on. They worry Dallas, St. Lucia and the world will forget their son and what he stood for and the man he wanted to become.

In Dallas, he had handed out water to those protesting President Donald Trump's immigration policies. He spoke to his parents about his support of San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick kneeling to protest police officers shooting unarmed black men.

Vigils honored Jean across the United States, in Canada and the Caribbean islands. In Dallas, people protested regularly the first few weeks after his death.

People around the world wear T-shirts bearing his name and face, especially here and in St. Lucia. Bertrum Jean wore a black shirt that said "Botham's Army" while speaking with The News. Allison Jean wore one with a picture of her son.

Bishop T.D. Jakes of The Potter's House of Dallas and his wife, Serita, are honoring Allison Jean while she's in Dallas with a Lady of Grace Award. The award is given to women who show grace and faith "while inspiring others that love is the greatest weapon of all," says a letter from Potter's House telling Allison Jean about the award. Potter's House paid for their travel and hotel.

On Sunday, members at Dallas West Church of Christ, where Botham Jean worshipped, will hold Red Out Sunday. The congregation will wear red ties, scarves and accessories in honor of Jean and his favorite color. Other congregations in St. Lucia, Dallas and likely elsewhere will join in. There's a push to take selfies and post them on social media with #JusticeForBotham.

But his parents want a permanent reminder of their son. They will push for changes that could have prevented not just Jean's death but the killings of others by police officers. The Jeans plan to start a foundation in his name to push for changes in laws and policies — and to help others who have been devastated by violence. The details are still being worked out.

The culture of violence and training in police departments must change, they said. The family plans to sue the city.

"Something must be done," Bertrum Jean said. "We cannot afford to just take lives that way."
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https://atlantablackstar.com/2018/1...-accounts-yet-alarming-posts-still-uncovered/

Police Reportedly Allowed Amber Guyger Time to Scrub Her Social Media Accounts, Yet Alarming Posts Still Uncovered

Tanasia KenneyOctober 19, 2018

The social media accounts of fired Dallas officer Amber Guyger have come into question amid reports that police allowed Guyger ample time to scrub her online activity as they continue their investigation into the fatal shooting of Botham Jean.

In an interview with civil rights attorney Lee Merritt, journalist Jordan Chariton cited an alleged Pinterest account belonging to Guyger he claims echoed “Blue Lives Matter” and police superiority sentiments. Chariton, who writes for the Status Coup, noted Dallas PD hasn’t only refused to release 911 calls from the night of the shooting but has now given Guyger time to clear herself from any incriminating evidence on the web.

Merritt, who’s representing Jean’s family, said this isn’t totally uncommon, however.

“It’s quite common in cases of law enforcement officers,” he explained. “And we’re dealing with cases very similar to the murder of Botham where law enforcement officers are given every break, every leeway possible.”

He added, “They’re given a chance when there’s body camera footage to review that, to craft their narrative around it, [and] to scrub their social media …”

Guyger, 31, is facing manslaughter charges after fatally shooting Jean in his own apartment after mistaking it for her own. The then-officer claimed she had entered the wrong unit and thought Jean, 26, was an intruder. The St. Lucia native was rushed to a local area hospital where he was pronounced dead.

“I thought it was my apartment,” Guyger said repeatedly, and apologized to Jean, a law enforcement official told The Dallas Morning News of the 911 call. “I’m so sorry.”

The officer turned herself into police three days after the shooting and was subsequently charged with manslaughter. She was later fired from the department on Sept. 24.

While Guyer managed to wipe most of her social media accounts, Merritt said authorities seemed to have overlooked the Pinterest account, which he said has existed for years and does not appear to be a mock account. He went on to detail a few “very scary” things the former officer shared on her page.

“She bragged about being violent, being short tempered,” he said. “She bragged about use of force and she spoke out adamantly against things like kneeling [during the anthem] and said the NFL died of ‘Colin’ cancer,” a reference to former NFL player Colin Kaepernick, who started taking a knee to protest racial injustice and police violence in America.

The attorney also cited posts where Guyger wrote that folks were “lucky” if she went through the week without killing anyone and celebrated “one shot, one kill.”

“She expressed some very dark thoughts,” said Merritt.
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https://www.dallasnews.com/news/cou...ederal-lawsuit-city-dallas-amber-guyger-death

Botham Jean's family sues city of Dallas, former cop Amber Guyger for killing him

The family of a 26-year-old accountant slain in his home by a Dallas police officer who said she mistook his apartment for hers filed suit Friday against the city and the cop who killed him.

Amber Guyger was off duty but in uniform when she shot and killed Botham Jean on Sept. 6 at South Side Flats, down the street from Dallas police headquarters in the Cedars neighborhood.

The federal lawsuit says Guyger used excessive force and violated Jean's constitutional and civil rights and that Dallas Police Chief U. Renee Hall, the City Council and city manager "failed to implement and enforce such policies, practices and procedure for the DPD that respected Jean's constitutional rights."

Guyger, 30, was charged with manslaughter three days after Jean's death. She was later fired from the Dallas Police Department.

Interim City Attorney Chris Caso said Friday evening only that he was aware of the lawsuit and had no comment.

Guyger's attorney in the criminal case, Robert Rogers, also declined to comment. He has previously said Guyger is "completely devastated by what happened" and described the shooting as "a tragic mistake."

Although Guyger wasn't on the clock at the time of the shooting, a court could find the city liable if she used her authority as a police officer when she shot Jean. But the city will certainly argue Guyger acted as a startled resident returning to what she thought was her home.

The lawsuit was filed by Jean's parents, Allison and Bertrum Jean, who live on the Caribbean island of St. Lucia, and his sister, Allisa Findley of New York. Jean grew up in St. Lucia but came to the U.S. for college at Harding University in Arkansas and then found a job as an accountant at PricewaterhouseCoopers in Dallas. He planned to one day return home, where his mother is a former government official, to run for prime minister.

The lawsuit will most likely be put on hold until the criminal charge against Guyger winds its way through criminal court. A grand jury could indict her for manslaughter, murder or another charge. It could also decide she should not be charged with a crime.

Last week, Allison and Bertrum Jean flew to Dallas and met with District Attorney Faith Johnson. The Jeans have been upset with how Dallas police and the Texas Rangers have handled the case but said they are comforted and satisfied with how prosecutors are handling the case.

'Shoot first'
The couple's lawsuit argues that better training by the Dallas Police Department could have prevented Jean's death.

"By simply following proper police procedures and the best police practices and not the protocol of the DPD to 'shoot first and ask questions later', Defendant Guyger would have not shot Jean," the lawsuit states. "Essentially, Officer Guyger was ill-trained, and as a result, defaulted to the defective DPD policy: to use deadly force even when there exist no immediate threat of harm to themselves or others."

Dallas police have a "pattern, practice, history and custom of using excessive force against minorities, including approaching them with guns drawn," according to the suit. The lawsuit says the department has said it would change its policies over the years but failed to do so.

The chief and the City Council failed "to implement the necessary policies and the (de facto) implementation of unconstitutional policies, causes Jean to experience an unwarranted and excruciating physical and mental anguish before his ultimate death. For these civil rights violations and other causes of action discussed herein, Plaintiffs seek answers and compensation for their respective damages."

The lawsuit does not ask for a specific dollar amount.

The Jeans want their lawsuit to bring about changes in how police officers are trained, said attorney Lee Merritt, who represents Jean's family, along with Daryl Washington and Benjamin Crump.

"They want accountability," Merritt said. "Part of the goal of civil lawsuits is for the monetary damages to make the defendants take steps to prevent this in the future."

Merritt said the Jeans aren't holding themselves as experts to say what that training should be. But, he said, "a man sitting in his home should not be killed."

Warning signs
The lawsuit raises questions about why Guyger didn't notice she was on the wrong floor and in the wrong apartment. Jean lived on the fourth floor, and Guyger lived directly below him. Jean had a red mat in front of his door. Guyger did not.

Guyger told law enforcement that Jean's door was unlocked and ajar. Jean's family has said he would have locked and shut his door.

The officer also failed to notice, the lawsuit says, that her key did not chime as it would have if she inserted it into the electronic lock on her door.

"The door would have not produced the identical chime Defendant Guyger hears daily at her apartment, which would indicate to a reasonable police officer that she had entered her key into the wrong keyhole if that is indeed what happened," the suit says. "In fact, the light above the keyhole would have flashed red, indicating to Defendant Guyger that her key did not match the lock she was then attempting to access."

Guyger arrived at Jean's door around 10 p.m. as Jean sat on the couch. The lights were out except for the football game he was watching on TV. The lawsuit says light from the hallway and television should have provided enough light for Guyger to see she was in the wrong place.

"After opening the door to Jean's apartment, Defendant Guyger stated in an interview with the Texas Rangers that she drew her service weapon and began issuing verbal commands to Jean, who was lawfully in his apartment," the lawsuit says. "Jean attempted to comply by slowly arising from his seated position. Without any lawful justification to do so and not asking the questions that a reasonable well-trained officer would have, Defendant Guyger fired upon Jean, striking him in the chest although he was unarmed and not attempting to harm her or any other person."

The lawsuit says Guyger could have shut the door and called police for backup while she waited outside the apartment or used less deadly tactics.

After Guyger shot Jean in the chest, the lawsuit says, she did not give Jean first aid. Police have said she did try to help him.

The lawsuit says the department did not treat Guyger like any other citizen. The shooting was initially investigated by Dallas police as an officer-involved shooting.

She was, the lawsuit says, not immediately arrested and allowed to "roam about the crime scene," make phone calls and allowed to re-enter Jean's apartment and go to her own home.
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THANK YOU to whoever moved it

i kept typing Dallas or police...didnt think to try officer
 
https://www.dallasnews.com/news/cou...ether-indict-amber-guyger-killing-botham-jean

Her attorney, Robert Rogers, said Friday that he wasn't surprised by the indictment, considering "all the political pressure and the emotion that seemed to be injected into the process," but he doesn't believe the law supports a murder conviction in the case.

"Two innocent lives have been forever changed," he said. "I feel for Botham Jean's family, and I can't imagine the pain they are going through. But when you look at the law, this was a tragic mistake.

"Amber Guyger felt she was in her apartment," he added. "I don't think there is any dispute to that. She was justified in her actions."

Guyger turned herself in to the Mesquite jail about 1 p.m. Friday to be booked on the new murder charge, Mesquite police Lt. Stephen Biggs said. She quickly posted a $200,000 bond, nearly three months after posting a $300,000 bond for the original manslaughter charge.

Her indictment appeared to only be the second time a Dallas police officer was indicted for murder in at least 45 years, courthouse observers said.

Darrell L. Cain killed 12-year-old Santos Rodriguez while playing Russian roulette with the handcuffed boy in 1973. Cain was sentenced to just five years for murder and served half of his sentence.
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Smh.. The bitch is already out on bond.. They could never happen for a nigga...
 
"Amber Guyger felt she was in her apartment," he added. "I don't think there is any dispute to that. She was justified in her actions."


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StringerBell said:
View attachment 91012

She has one ugly looking ferret face.. Plus she has that “Yeah I hate all them n!ggers.. I wish I could kill them all..” look in her evil ass eyes...
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https://www.dallasnews.com/news/cou...ccident-say-attorneys-skilled-remaking-client

Amber Guyger's new look is no accident, say attorneys skilled in remaking a client

Former police officer Amber Guyger had a new look in court Tuesday in Dallas — and that was no accident, legal experts say.

Guyger, 30, struck a softer appearance than she did earlier this month for her second courthouse visit since being indicted on a murder charge in the death of Botham Jean.

A change in body language and clothes is common for defendants trying to win over a judge and jury, legal experts say.

"Every time she is appearing at the courthouse, the public and, ultimately, her jury is looking at her," said George Milner III, a local defense attorney. "A defense attorney would make every effort to have their client present to the media a look that is consistent with innocence."

The result of Tuesday's meeting at the Frank Crowley Courts Building was unclear because a gag order prevents anyone associated with the case from speaking publicly.

No trial date has been set in the case. Court records show prosecutors have subpoenaed Guyger's training records.

Guyger was off-duty but in uniform Sept. 6 when she killed Jean in his Cedars apartment, a block away from Dallas police headquarters. She told law enforcement she mistook his fourth-floor apartment for her own and thought the 26-year-old accountant was a burglar.

Legal experts unaffiliated with the case say Guyger’s attorneys have their work cut out for them. Guyger’s actions made news around the world, and she is regularly reviled on social media.

For her first court date Jan. 8, Guyger wore an open black jacket and pants with a blue shirt. She pulled her straight dark blond hair into a ponytail.

The look, Dallas defense attorney Robbie McClung said, “screamed law enforcement.” By this week's appearance, the focus had shifted, McClung said.

On Tuesday, wavy hair fell past Guyger's shoulders and her white pantsuit jacket was buttoned. She looked straight ahead more often.

"You want to go up to her and say, 'I like your suit. Where did you get your suit?'" McClung said.

One of Guyger's attorneys, Toby Shook, declined to comment, citing a gag order by state District Judge Tammy Kemp.

Lee Merritt, an attorney for Jean's family, said defense attorneys are using racial stereotypes and prejudice to help Guyger beat a murder charge.

"Highlighting her golden locks and daintiness is a direct appeal to the American culture's propensity to come to the defense of white womanhood," Merritt said. "They are playing into long-held prejudices of black male criminality and and white purity."

Nothing happened inside the courtroom either day that Guyger appeared at the courthouse this month. But she was photographed and filmed by the media on her way to and from a room reserved for defense attorneys and their clients across the hall from Kemp's court.

Even though jury selection in Guyger's case isn't yet on the horizon, the public and potential jurors are watching news coverage, attorneys say. Every video and photo is an opportunity to reach them.

The new look is deliberate, orchestrated by the defense, Milner said.

His clients include numerous police officers, as well as former Dallas Cowboys defensive tackle Josh Brent. He was sentenced to probation for killing his teammate and best friend Jerry Brown in a drunken-driving crash.

Clothes and body language "might make the difference" in swaying a jury, Milner said, although how it works and how well is "very subjective."

Defendants convey innocence by holding their heads up, Milner said. Looking down like Guyger did at her first court appearance conveys feelings of guilt, he said. Milner said he advised Brent to keep his head up as he walked past the cameras but said he didn't have to talk to reporters.

"In a high-profile case, every day is game day," he said.

But, McClung said, if you hold your head too high "you look like you think you're better than everyone else."

Style transformations are common, attorneys say. Clothes are nicer. Glasses may be added or taken away. Tattoos are covered.

But defense attorney Erin Hendricks said defendants can’t change their appearance so much that they don’t look or act like themselves. A judge and jury won’t buy it.

“You have to be authentic. Too many people are going to see right through it if you try to be someone you’re not,” Hendricks said. “In the criminal courthouse, you could be seen as a fraud — trying to be somebody you’re not.”

Not everyone dresses the part for court. It's not uncommon to see defendants wearing pajama bottoms and T-shirts with profane slogans in the courthouse hallways.

Hendricks said she is regularly asked by clients what they should wear or if they should shave or get a haircut. She tells them to dress comfortably but respectfully — like if they were going to a funeral or the principal’s office.

Former Balch Springs police officer Roy Oliver first showed up at the courthouse with a beard and dark suits after he was charged with murder in the 2017 shooting of 15-year-old Jordan Edwards.

At trial, Oliver was clean-shaven and wore a puzzle-piece-shaped autism pin on the lapel of his gray suit the day he testified. His son, Tab, has autism.

It's unclear whether the change made a difference. A Dallas County jury sentenced Oliver to 15 years in prison in August for shooting into a car full of teens driving away from a party, killing Jordan.

Like Guyger, Oliver was free on bond when he appeared in court. Dressing clients for court appearances is harder when they're in jail, defense attorneys say.

Style transformations are common, attorneys say. Clothes are nicer. Glasses may be added or taken away. Tattoos are covered.

But defense attorney Erin Hendricks said defendants can’t change their appearance so much that they don’t look or act like themselves. A judge and jury won’t buy it.

“You have to be authentic. Too many people are going to see right through it if you try to be someone you’re not,” Hendricks said. “In the criminal courthouse, you could be seen as a fraud — trying to be somebody you’re not.”

Not everyone dresses the part for court. It's not uncommon to see defendants wearing pajama bottoms and T-shirts with profane slogans in the courthouse hallways.

Hendricks said she is regularly asked by clients what they should wear or if they should shave or get a haircut. She tells them to dress comfortably but respectfully — like if they were going to a funeral or the principal’s office.

Former Balch Springs police officer Roy Oliver first showed up at the courthouse with a beard and dark suits after he was charged with murder in the 2017 shooting of 15-year-old Jordan Edwards.

At trial, Oliver was clean-shaven and wore a puzzle-piece-shaped autism pin on the lapel of his gray suit the day he testified. His son, Tab, has autism.

It's unclear whether the change made a difference. A Dallas County jury sentenced Oliver to 15 years in prison in August for shooting into a car full of teens driving away from a party, killing Jordan.

Like Guyger, Oliver was free on bond when he appeared in court. Dressing clients for court appearances is harder when they're in jail, defense attorneys say.

Milner said he often requests for defendants in jail to be allowed regular clothes instead of jail jumpsuits for hearings, especially when cameras will be present. Judges are only required to allow street clothes for trials, he said.

McClung said she has been scolded by bailiffs for giving her clients lip gloss or a hair brush to help them look more presentable. And, sometimes, jailed defendants wear the same clothes for trial day after day.

Ultimately, McClung said, Guyger and any other client wants to project the same message with her appearance.

“How could they say she did these things?" the attorney said of that message. "She looks too nice. She looks too sweet."
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Even with her new look she still looks like a evil ferret in the face...
 
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