Clark County prosecutors are seeking a grand jury indictment for felony bad check charges against the former brother-in-law of Family Court Judge Steven Jones, now under scrutiny himself for questionable business associations and an outstanding misdemeanor charge of domestic battery.

Thomas Cecrle did not attend his scheduled hearing before Las Vegas Justice Court Judge James Bixler on Thursday, but was represented by defense attorney Robert Draskovich. Cecrle is accused of passing bad checks totaling $64,635. The checks written in February 2005 went to Las Vegas Valley man Ely Ades.

Draskovich accepted the notice of intent to seek a grand jury indictment from Clark County Chief Deputy District Attorney Bernie Zadrowski, who said he plans to present exculpatory evidence on behalf of Cecrle at a grand jury hearing, scheduled for Oct. 26.

"This was just a business deal gone bad," Draskovich said, adding that issues in the case are more suited to civil litigation. "These checks were held as collateral."

Cecrle has two additional felony cases pending against him for drug possession and battery of his ex-wife. He has been the subject of at least five financial demands or judgments in District Court during the last five years. In July, Ades told prosecutors Jones had interceded with him on Cecrle's account, asking him to delay pursuit of the case until Cecrle could make good on the bad checks.

"The victim informed the DA's office that the judge asked him to hold off on the filing of the criminal complaint," Zadrowski said in July. "The judge had vowed for Cecrle that it was going to be paid off."

Jones relationship with Cecrle was underlined in July when the judge attended a Justice Court hearing with Cecrle. Jones' attorney, James Jimmerson, said the judge was there to lend moral support.

Jones' ties to Cecrle are complex. Campaign finance reports filed between 1992 and 2004 show a history of debt between the two. Jones reported thousands of dollars of indebtedness to Cecrle, which Jimmerson said has now been repaid.

Some of the reported indebtedness to Cecrle occurred at a time when Cecrle's ex-wife took him to court for failure to pay child support. In January 2004, a video recording of the proceeding showed Cecrle was more than $11,000 in arrears on support payments for his three daughters. At the time, Cecrle, who said under oath that he did not file income tax returns with the Internal Revenue Service, claimed to receive $2,500 a month from a private trust.

Jones is also linked to a 2003 financial dispute between Cecrle and Las Vegas investor Gene Isaacs. Isaacs said Jones intervened in a real estate deal launched by Cecrle that cost the investor $800,000. Jones drew up a $2 million confession of judgment, Isaacs said, which supposedly meant if Cecrle failed to make payment, the document would be filed with the court as an admission of liability. Cecrle never made good on Isaacs' losses.

Cecrle's ties to Jones were uncovered in the wake of Jones' arrest on a domestic battery charge in Henderson. The judge has been charged with battering live-in girlfriend Amy McNair in June.

The incident was the fourth time in four years Henderson police were called to intervene in family fights at the home. Jones is scheduled to appear in Henderson Municipal Court on Sept. 13.