The Docket — Issue 03
The Quiet Conversation
Four judges. Four counties. Four complaints. One solution.
Difficulty: Moderate
Week of: April 21, 2026
Issue: 03
This week's scenario: The Judicial Tenure Commission received four new referrals in the same quarter — an unusual cluster drawing attention from court-watchers across the state. Each complaint originated from a different county, involved a distinct category of alleged misconduct, and resolved through a different JTC disposition. All judges and cases in this puzzle are fictional. Use the clues below to match each judge to their county, complaint type, and JTC outcome.
How to play: Use the clues to match each judge to their county, complaint type, and JTC outcome. Cross off combinations that can't be true. Every clue eliminates at least one possibility. There is exactly one valid solution.
The four judges
| Judge | County | Complaint Type | JTC Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| Judge Voss | ? | ? | ? |
| Judge Pruitt | ? | ? | ? |
| Judge Hale | ? | ? | ? |
| Judge Moran | ? | ? | ? |
Categories
Counties
Wayne
Ottawa
Calhoun
Marquette
Ottawa
Calhoun
Marquette
Complaints
Ex parte communications
Courtroom demeanor violations
Failure to recuse
Misuse of judicial office
Courtroom demeanor violations
Failure to recuse
Misuse of judicial office
Outcomes
Dismissed
Public censure
Consent agreement
Suspension (recommended)
Public censure
Consent agreement
Suspension (recommended)
The clues
- The judge from Marquette County was not facing a courtroom demeanor complaint.
- Judge Voss presides in Wayne County.
- The judge with the ex parte communications complaint was dismissed without further action.
- Judge Hale's complaint involved failing to step aside from a case where a conflict was apparent.
- The Ottawa County judge received a public censure.
- The Marquette County judge's complaint resulted in the most severe outcome of the four.
- Judge Pruitt was not assigned to Ottawa County.
- The judge who received a consent agreement was not facing a misuse of judicial office complaint.
- Judge Moran's county borders Lake Superior.
- The courtroom demeanor complaint resulted in a public censure.
Reveal the solution
The Docket publishes every Tuesday at 10:00 AM EST. Subscribe to Clutch Justice to get each new puzzle in your inbox. Miss last week? Play Issue 02.
From the editor
The patterns in these puzzles are fictional. The ones in Michigan's courts aren't. Rita maps those for a living.
