This is the eleventh of our Court Times articles that highlight up close and personal a member of the Indiana Judiciary. Delaware County Circuit Court #1 Judge Marianne L. Vorhees is our judge featured in this issue. She served as Master Commissioner for the Delaware Circuit Court from 1993 to 2002. Governor Frank O’Bannon appointed Judge Vorhees to the bench in November 2002. She was elected by popular vote in 2004 and re-elected without opposition in November to another 6 year term. She graduated from Ball State University in 1980, and received her Doctor of Jurisprudence from the University of Notre Dame in 1983. She attended the Indiana Graduate Program for Judges in 2007. Judge Vorhees was a member of the Board of Directors, State Board of Law Examiners, from 1996 to 2006. She currently serves as a member of the Board of Directors, Judicial Conference of Indiana, and has held this position since 2006.
What do you like most and least about being a trial court judge?
I like helping people solve problems. Almost everyone we see is in a difficult situation, and I like to resolve the situation as efficiently as possible, to help them along to the next step in their lives. What I like least is the fact that we have to run in a partisan election. I wish we could run in a non-partisan manner.
What was your major at Ball State University and why did you decide to study law?
I was a teaching major at Ball State, and I thought I would become a teacher and a coach. I decided during my junior year that I would like to try law school. I thought a career in law would bring me something different every day. My legal career has certainly met those expectations!
What would you do if you were not a judge?
My dream would be to write novels. In reality, I would probably teach.
Who are the people you most admire?
My parents. They are great people, and they are so respected in our community. I can’t imagine having better role models than my mother and father.
What are your hobbies or favorite leisure activities, and how did you first get involved?
Reading and exercising. I have always been involved in sports. My dad was a coach, and I followed him around to all his practices and games. At Ball State, I played on the varsity fast pitch softball team for four years. I was in the first class of women student-athletes to receive athletic scholarships, and our team won two state championships. In 1977, my slow pitch team, Munciana, finished third in the nation, and I was named to the All-America team. I played softball through the 2007 summer, when I retired for good. Now I am trying tennis as a competitive activity.
What are your favorite books, and have you read any recently, or are reading now, that you would recommend?
I always have two or three books going at the same time. Right now my obsession is Norwegian author Jo Nesbo, who writes a series about a detective named Harry Hole. Start with The Redbreast and read them in order.
Where did you grow up and how would you describe your childhood?
I grew up in Muncie as the oldest of five children. My dad was a teacher and coach, and my mother was a stay-at-home mom. We lived one block from the local library, which made me the reader I am today. I left Muncie for law school and a clerkship in Cincinnati but came back because it’s a great place to live and raise a family.
Do you have a favorite quote(s)?
I don’t have a favorite quote, but I would like to abolish the phrase, “You only get one bite of the apple.” I don’t agree; if you take one bite of an apple at my house, I would prefer that you finish the whole thing.
Where is your favorite vacation spot?
Anywhere that I can read books. My idea of a great vacation is sitting outside and reading a book per day.
Do you have a favorite meal, recipe, and restaurant?
When my husband and our children want me to fix one of their favorite meals, they usually ask for steak on the grill and fried potatoes. As far as local restaurants are concerned, I recommend Vera Mae’s Bistro in downtown Muncie. It’s worth the drive.