Judge Arthur S. Guerin, however, prevented her from testifying and postponed the hearing until five days later. The reason? The girl was wearing a pair of trousers.
Hulick told the Los Angeles Times: "Tell the judge I will assert my rights. If he orders me to put on a dress, I won't. I like pants. They're comfortable."
And so she showed up in trousers too at the second hearing. The judge, enraged, told her:
"The last time she appeared in this court, dressed as she is today and tilting her head back, attracted the attention of those present, the prisoners and the court more than the ongoing proceedings. She was required to return with dress appropriate for the trial. Today she returned wearing trousers, openly defying the court [...] But be prepared to be punished according to the law for contempt of court."
The girl, who had now made it a matter of principle, showed up again in trousers and was sentenced to spend 5 days in prison.
Her lawyer appealed and the Court of Appeal ruled in his favour, overturning the judge's ruling. Helen Hulick had thus obtained the right to wear trousers for herself and other women.
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