Who are a municipal judge's relatives within the second degree by blood?

• A. great-grandparents and great-grandchildren only.
• B. Spouse and in-laws.
• C. Uncles and aunts only.
• D. The judge's father, mother, children, brothers, sisters, grandparents, and grandchildren.

Answer: (D)

Understanding how relatives are counted by blood helps here. Relatives within the second degree by blood are those up to two steps away in the family tree. That includes your parents and children (one step), your brothers and sisters (two steps via a parent), and your grandparents and grandchildren (two steps via a parent or child). It does not include great-grandparents or great-grandchildren (that’s three steps) and it does not include spouses or in-laws (they’re by affinity, not blood).

So the list that includes the judge’s father, mother, children, brothers, sisters, grandparents, and grandchildren covers all relatives within two steps of blood, which is why it is the best answer. The other options miss or misclassify these relationships, such as great-grandparents/great-grandchildren being farther than two steps, or including in-laws instead of blood relatives.