Scrabble Tiles Reshuffle Musk Cases in Delaware Court

Chancellor McCormick uses unconventional method to assign cases involving Elon Musk and Tesla.

Apr. 3, 2026 at 12:04pm

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A conceptual studio still life photograph featuring a handful of Scrabble tiles spilled out on a clean, monochromatic background, with the tiles arranged to spell out 'MUSK'. The tiles are lit dramatically with sharp shadows, representing the high-stakes legal battles and tensions surrounding Elon Musk and the Delaware Chancery Court.The Delaware Chancery Court's unconventional use of Scrabble tiles to reassign cases involving Elon Musk and Tesla reflects the high-stakes legal battles and allegations of bias surrounding the tech mogul.Wilmington Today

The chief judge of the Delaware Chancery Court, Chancellor Kathaleen St. Jude McCormick, has reassigned two cases involving Elon Musk and Tesla in an unconventional way - by having attorneys blindly choose Scrabble tiles from a bag, with each tile corresponding to the name of one of her six colleagues on the prestigious business court's bench. McCormick said she decided to use this method 'to eliminate an allegation of bias' after attorneys for Musk and Tesla accused her of bias.

Why it matters

The Delaware Chancery Court is known for handling high-profile corporate disputes, and the cases involving Elon Musk and Tesla are closely watched. McCormick's use of Scrabble tiles to reassign the cases is an unusual move that highlights the tensions and allegations of bias in the ongoing legal battles between Musk and the court.

The details

During a tense hearing in Wilmington, Chancellor McCormick had attorneys blindly choose Scrabble tiles from a bag held by one of her law clerks, with each tile corresponding to the name of one of her six colleagues on the prestigious business court's bench. This unconventional method of reassigning the cases was intended to 'eliminate an allegation of bias' after attorneys for Musk and Tesla accused McCormick of bias.

  • The hearing took place on April 3, 2026 in Wilmington, Delaware.

The players

Kathaleen St. Jude McCormick

The chief judge of the Delaware Chancery Court, who used an unconventional Scrabble tile method to reassign cases involving Elon Musk and Tesla.

Elon Musk

The CEO of Tesla, who was involved in the cases that were reassigned by Chancellor McCormick.

Tesla

The electric vehicle company founded by Elon Musk, which was also involved in the cases that were reassigned.

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What they’re saying

“I decided to use Scrabble tiles to eliminate an allegation of bias.”

— Kathaleen St. Jude McCormick, Chancellor, Delaware Chancery Court

What’s next

The reassigned cases involving Elon Musk and Tesla will now proceed with new judges presiding over them.

The takeaway

Chancellor McCormick's unconventional use of Scrabble tiles to reassign high-profile cases highlights the ongoing tensions and allegations of bias in the Delaware Chancery Court, which is known for handling complex corporate disputes.