In a criminal trial, solid evidence and trustworthy witnesses can be difficult obstacles for a defendant to overcome. However, there is a tactic commonly employed by criminal defense lawyers that has been proven to help sway the jury in the defendant's favor. Known as the 'nerd defense', the simple act of a defendant wearing glasses during trial has been said to convey to jury members that the defendant is smart, reliable, and, most importantly, innocent.

In a 2008 study on the subject, researchers found that glasses did, in fact, lead to more acquittals. "We found that eyeglasses tended to make the defendant look more intelligent and less physically threatening to jurors," said researcher Michael Brown. "It's the whole idea of presenting yourself as intelligent and a little emasculated."

The nerd defense has been proven to work in two widely-publicized cases. Last month, former housekeeper Thomas Cordero wore bifocals to trial, and was acquitted of homicide despite overwhelming evidence that he had killed his employer. In 1986, one of the first nerd defense cases on record, Larry Davis was acquitted of killing four people and shooting six police officers when they tried to arrest him. Davis reportedly sported horn-rimmed glasses throughout his trial.

According to attorney Harvey Slovis, who coaches defendants and other parties on what to wear in court, glasses can be a powerful tool in swaying a jury. "Glasses soften their appearance so that they don't look capable of committing a violent crime," Slovis said. "I've tried cases where there's been a tremendous amount of evidence, but my client wore glasses, dressed well and got acquitted."

Source: New York Daily News, "Defense lawyers swear by gimmick of having defendants wearing glasses at trial", Kevin Deutsch, 13 February 2011