Game Hobby Entangles Local Judge

Judge Clark Peterson, a magistrate judge in North Idaho, poses for a photo in 2001 at GenCon, the largest tabletop gaming convention in the United States. (Photo: angelfire.com)

Clark Allen Peterson is more than just a devoted fan of tabletop role-playing fantasy games. He has been an entrepreneur and publisher who mentors game designers, heralds product releases from a company he founded, judges design competitions and posts online comments about the intricacies of this make-believe world of monsters, mythical creatures, magic and good vs. evil. Many know him as the demon prince Orcus, Lord of the Undead. Others know him as the Honorable Clark A. Peterson, a state magistrate judge in Coeur d’Alene. The 46-year-old Peterson has posted hundreds of online comments about the fantasy games while at work at the county justice building in his four years as a member of the state’s judiciary/ Scott Maben , SR. More here.

Question: Has Judge Peterson’s fantasy game hobby compromised his ability to do a good job?