Family Court Department J

Thursday, Aug. 15, 2002 | 9:05 a.m.

Family Court Judge Lisa Brown is facing two challengers, Thomas Kurtz and Donn Prokopius, in the nonpartisan primary race in Department J.

The two top vote-getters will advance to the November election.

Brown, who was elected in 2000 as one of three judges added to Family Court, moved to Las Vegas in 1990 and served as law clerk to the late District Judge Tom Foley.

She had her own family law office for five years before becoming a deputy attorney general handling matters for the state Division of Child and Family Services and the Division of Mental and Developmental Services.

She said her strengths as a judge are fairness and compassion.

Kurtz is an alternate hearing master in Family Court and a referee for Justice Court. For the past 12 years, he said, nearly all his cases as an attorney have been in Family Court.

Kurtz said his strengths are his judicial demeanor and understanding that each person deserves the respect of the court. He supports educating people on what Family Court can and can't do.

Judicial decisions in the court need to be made in a more timely manner, he said. Prokopius, an attorney, did not respond to requests for information.