Marion County judge a self-described nerd for board games

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - Marc Rothenberg's office is a small museum filled with symbols of his favorite comic book character: The Joker.

A six-shelf bookcase contains figurines and memorabilia mostly devoted to Batman's archenemy. Original comic book artwork hangs on the wall. On the floor near the bookcase, a knee-high statue of the grinning villain raises a handgun.

The Joker is the ultimate symbol of chaos, which makes the fictional character a polar opposite of Rothenberg. Sitting on the bench in Marion Superior Court 2, Rothenberg, 44, delivers no-nonsense oratory while presiding over some of the most heinous criminal cases that get filed in Indianapolis courtrooms: rape, child molest, murder.

"You're not a monster ... but your actions are beyond monstrous," Rothenberg told William Gholston, convicted in 15-year-old Dominique Allen's killing, during a sentencing hearing in April. "You're a destroyer. You're a thief of life, of happiness."

Rothenberg sentenced Gholston to 84 years in prison.

"You know my job, unfortunately, while I love it, it's the kind of thing you bring home," Rothenberg said. "Anything I can do to escape that sometimes, it makes me happy."

For a self-described "nerd" like Rothenberg, escape is a board game. At 10, he started playing with his older brother, David. They began with the classics - Monopoly and Risk - before later picking up role-playing games, such as Dungeons & Dragons.

Now, he loves strategy games that most people have never heard of, like Blood Rage (about Vikings raiders), T.I.M.E Stories (about time travelers who protect humanity) and Lords of Waterdeep (about using political intrigue that involves a battle for control of a city called Waterdeep). His all-time favorites include Risk, Settlers of Catan and Ticket to Ride.

But Rothenberg doesn't just play games; he's often in charge of them. At Gen Con, the gaming convention expected to draw more than 61,000 to Indianapolis Aug. 4-7, he usually runs games.

"When you go to a convention, people pay money - not to me; to the convention," Rothenberg said. "They expect to get something good out of it. Something entertaining. So there's some pressure that comes with that."

He's looking forward to a break this year.

Staff in his court tease Rothenberg, in a kind way, for his love of these weird fantasy games. Dawn Cox, Rothenberg's chief bailiff, recalled being new to the job about 11 years ago and walking into then-Commissioner Rothenberg's office.

"I went into his office about something and he was looking at one of those games," Cox said. "He showed it to me and I was like 'Oh my god, you're a nerd.' "

"I am," Rothenberg told her.

Cox said the office staff still call Rothenberg their "absolute favorite nerd." He takes it all in good fun.

"He knows the stressful situations we hear in the courtroom," Cox said. "He makes that as light as he can for all of us.

"Working for Judge Marc Rothenberg makes that day a little less heavy."

Rob Roberts has been Rothenberg's friend for more than 20 years. They met at Indiana University, where they were among a group who met regularly to play card game Magic: The Gathering and other games.

Rothenberg always has been an unconventional player, said Roberts, who is the chief deputy prosecutor in Vigo County.

Roberts said Rothenberg takes these games very seriously, often employing strategies that no one else had considered.

"I can't say that I've seen him dress up in full costume," Roberts said, "but when he's playing the games he will be able to go into a full-character mode, like an actor on stage."

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Source: The Indianapolis Star, http://indy.st/2aiJaG6

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Information from: The Indianapolis Star, http://www.indystar.com