MARYLAND - If you’ve ever stepped into the highest court in Annapolis, you might have thought you accidentally wandered into a British royal ceremony. While judges in the other 49 states—and the U.S. Supreme Court—wear the standard somber black, the justices of the Supreme Court of Maryland (formerly the Court of Appeals) are famous for their vibrant scarlet robes.
MARYLAND - If you’ve ever stepped into the highest court in Annapolis, you might have thought you accidentally wandered into a British royal ceremony. While judges in the other 49 states—and the U.S. Supreme Court—wear the standard somber black, the justices of the Supreme Court of Maryland (formerly the Court of Appeals) are famous for their vibrant scarlet robes.This isn’t just a fashion statement; it is a deep-seated tradition that makes Maryland’s judiciary the most visually distinct in the nation.
The British Connection
Maryland’s red robes are a direct nod to the state’s colonial history. In the English legal system, which Maryland’s founders used as a blueprint, high-ranking judges wore scarlet robes for criminal cases and important holidays.
While the rest of the American colonies largely ditched these "royal" colors after the Revolution to favor the "republican simplicity" of black robes (a trend popularized by Chief Justice John Marshall), Maryland held onto its flair for the dramatic.
The "Study of Scarlet": A 1972 Revival
Interestingly, Maryland judges haven’t always worn red. For much of the 19th and early 20th centuries, they wore black like everyone else. The switch back to scarlet happened in 1972.
Judge J. Dudley Digges suggested the change to honor the court’s pre-Revolutionary roots. He cited a memoir from 1872 by Roger Brooke Taney, which described the early Maryland judges as wearing "scarlet cloaks" that left a lasting impression on him. The court adopted the red robes—along with white "stocks" or collars—to celebrate Maryland's unique legal heritage.
A Recent 2025 Shift
In a move that surprised many Maryland court-watchers, the tradition underwent a major change in late 2025.
Starting with the September 2025 term, the justices voted to return to black robes for most everyday oral arguments. However, the famous scarlet isn't gone for good. The court decided to reserve the red robes for "ceremonial occasions," including:
- The first day of each term.
- Bar admission ceremonies (where new lawyers are sworn in).
- Other special judicial events.
Why It Matters to Marylanders
The red robe is more than just a costume; it is a symbol of Maryland’s "uncommon" law. For decades, the scarlet silk represented the prestige of the state's highest court and served as a reminder that Maryland does things a little differently than its neighbors.
While you won't see the "sea of red" every day anymore, the scarlet robe remains a beloved icon of Maryland pride—right up there with Old Bay, blue crabs, and the most complicated state flag in the country.