See the Bibb County man who’s been Macon’s best dressed bailiff for more than a decade
Ivory Courts, a bailiff for the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office, is renowned at the Bibb County courthouse for his dazzling attire.
Color coordinated down to the fiber and accentuated by bracelets and pocket squares, his ensembles conjure memories of the natty attire seen in old films. Courts’ looks feature not a single iota of mismatched fabric.
His throwback to the “dressed to the nines” style of decades past is no mistake, of course. Though he appears young thanks to his garments and geniality, Courts is 72 years old. He’s been a bailiff for more than a decade — a fitting profession, given his surname, and one he’s been very good at, by all accounts.
But why does he spend almost two hours each morning preparing these carefully curated outfits?
“It’s all about representation. I have to represent the judges, sheriff (David) Davis, my major, everybody down to captain and sergeant. So I have to come to work looking good,” Courts said.
Courts, adorned in a resplendent blue lineup punctuated by a bow tie and vest on a cool October morning, leans against a courtroom table as he talks about his outfits, posing better on a whim than any photographer could instruct him to.
It’s vital to Courts for his attire to exude class and sophistication because, he says, courts should be sincere. It’s important business, and his finery both reassures people that they’re being taken seriously and helps put them at ease when they arrive at a place they likely do not frequent. It’s his job as a bailiff to do so.
“You know, people will walk in for jury duty and notice it quick. They say, ‘Nice shoes,’ or ‘I like your tie,’ and that can make them more comfortable,” he said.
The clothes have always been a part of who Courts is, representing his gregarious personality and his upbringing in Reidsville, North Carolina, near the Virginia border. His mother instilled in him a penchant for donning suave threads that he carried with him to Macon when the tobacco company he worked for merged with the then-monolithic Brown and Williamson plant.
Before he was a bailiff, Courts was a North Carolina city councilman, a photographer and even a Dillard’s suit specialist. He’s had an eye for coordination for as long as he can remember. He encapsulates his personality in the hues he wears on the corner of Mulberry and Second Street each day, using his disarming charm to assuage jurors, defendants and even victims’ families.
His wardrobe embodies his reverence for the judicial system. In a time where many wear their most casual clothes to jury duty and let their cellphones clamor in the courtroom, Courts acts as a beacon of sophistication and, when necessary, comic warmth.
The next time you head downtown to the courthouse, whether it be for a speeding ticket or jury duty, it may seem intimidating. The towering brick exterior of the historic building, along with the metal detectors and security inside, can make visitors nervous.
Courts will most likely be there to greet you, though, and he’s guaranteed to have an outfit and a smile ready to distract you.
