The Michigan Judicial Tenure Commission is the body responsible for promoting the integrity of our judicial process. When you believe a judge has violated the Michigan Code of Judicial Conduct your recourse is to file a complaint, known as a Request for Investigation.

The overwhelming majority of complaints are dismissed with a finding of No Misconduct. In 2025, 99% of complaints fell into this category.

Of the very small percentage of cases with confirmed misconduct, most result in confidential discipline only.

In rare instances, the Judicial Tenure Commission confirms the misconduct and recommends public censure, suspension, or removal to the Michigan Supreme Court. Getting to this step, if you even make it, often takes a year. Final resolution takes much longer. For example, on July 28, 2026, The Judicial Tenure Commission announced the resolution of a case opened in 2019. Clearly, this process takes time.

When final resolution involves disciplinary actions, oftentimes those actions appear to me to be lenient. The 2015 Gorcyca case is a great example to consider, especially as it has many commonalities with my story. In this case, Judge Gorcyca of Oakland County had three children handcuffed and locked up for refusing to have a healthy relationship with their father. She spoke to the children in a demeaning manner, indicating they had been brainwashed, and that one of them had a low IQ and was crazy. She suggested the children would be locked up in cells, have to use the bathroom with others watching, and that they would be incarcerated until they were done with high school. The children were handcuffed and taken away, banned from contact with their mother or her family. The judge said she would review her decision once the kids were ready to be normal human beings. News reports indicate the children were 9, 10, and 13 years old at the time of the incident.

The Judicial Tenure Commission found that Judge Gorcyca had indeed committed judicial misconduct. Commissioner Paul Fischer advocated for the recommendation of a 9-month suspension, public censure, and for Gorcyca to pay costs. However, his fellow commissioners felt that was too harsh, and Paul Fischer was fired. He later filed a Whistle Blower Lawsuit alleging wrongful termination linked to the Gorcyca investigation.

The Commission, now free of Paul Fischer, went forward with a gentler recommendation of a 30-day suspension and public censure. The Michigan Supreme Court agreed that misconduct had occurred, but they felt the recommended punishment was still overly harsh. The final discipline was a public censure only. Judge Gorcyca remains on the bench today.

I am concerned that a judge, one trusted with our lives, would treat anyone this way. And this was not just anyone, these were children. I am concerned that this level of 'discipline' is thought to be enough to ensure the integrity of our judicial system. That a similar thing recently happened to me, would suggest that it was not.

I submitted a Request for Investigation regarding Judge Susan Longsworth in June 2026. Based on statistics alone, the chances that my complaint will result in any level of discipline are slim. The chance it will result in what I see as meaningful discipline, is even slimmer. And if my complaint does manage to make it that far, it's likely to take several years. Several years in which Judge Longsworth can continue to cause harm.

I have no choice but to place my trust in the Judicial Tenure Commission as this process is the only official mechanism available. I am sure their job is not an easy one and I am not suggesting they are corrupt or uncaring. I am simply expressing concern and wondering whether there is room for improvement in our tools.

As I wait to hear their decision, I am sharing my complaint publicly. I hope this provides some measure of protection for my community via an early warning. I don't have the answers on what should be done, but this is my attempt to be part of a solution.

I am not a lawyer, and my complaint represents my thoughts and opinions only. Although I have made these allegations in good faith, I am not claiming my logic is legally sound. I am not qualified to make that determination. I am simply submitting my allegations and requesting they be investigated and weighed by someone who is qualified. And I invite you to form your own opinion.