Sikh Defendant Will Not Be Allowed To Wear Turban At Trial

Today's Stockton (CA) Record reports that a San Joaquin (CA) County Superior Court Judge has ruled that a defendant in a murder case who is a Sikh will not be allowed to wear his turban during trial. Judge Charlotte Orcutt ruled that there is too much risk that 56-year-old Gurparkash Khalsa could hide a weapon or noose in the 18 to 24 feet of fabric. There is concern that other inmates could use the turban to harm Khalsa in the courthouse holding cell, so Khalsa proposed putting it on just outside the courtroom. But this would require bailiffs to spend 10 to 15 minutes with him while he wraps his turban. Khlasa, who is is being held on charges of murdering his daughter's former boyfriend, is not allowed to wear his turban in jail either and has rejected the alternative of a smaller cloth head covering.