If a man is known by the company he keeps, then Family Court Judge Steven Jones has some serious explaining to do.

Jones' recent arrest on a domestic battery charge involving his live-in girlfriend Amy McNair shed light on the personal life of the highly rated Family Court veteran. Last week's hearing to determine whether to extend a temporary protective order in the battery case revealed Jones' gambling habits, tempestuous relationship with family members and significant others, and his friendship with former brother-in-law Tom Cecrle, a convicted felon currently facing methamphetamine possession and bad check charges. Cecrle has also been a defendant in numerous lawsuits stemming from unpaid loans and questionable business practices.

One of those controversial deals hits Jones extremely close to home -- or at least close to the judge's chambers.

When Cecrle sought investors in a supposed real estate deal involving the billionaire Richard Branson for a sliver of prized Strip frontage property, he found willing partners in Gene Isaacs and Mike Eckert. The three created a company using their initials called GITCME.

It's become clear to Isaacs and Eckert that the real estate deal was a dud. In interviews, both said they lost substantial sums to Cecrle -- but each differs on the role Judge Jones might have played in the questionable transaction.

Jones has referred questions to his attorney, James Jimmerson, who admitted Tuesday he was still getting up to speed himself. Through Jimmerson, Jones said he has associated with Cecrle but has not participated in any of his former relative's controversial business schemes.

See for yourself if that passes the smell test.

Isaacs, an octogenarian and private pilot, claims Jones was a partner in the deal. Jimmerson denied Jones was a partner, but admitted the judge was contemplating joining GITCME.

"He was intending to be an investor, that's what I understand, but it never came to be," Jimmerson said.

But Isaacs said he was so convinced of Jones' involvement in the deal that he agreed to issue the judge an American Express credit card as part of a business account.

Initially, Jimmerson said it was his understanding that Isaacs had loaned Jones money to address a medical issue. In a later interview, Jimmerson said he'd spoken again with his client, who said he'd used the Isaacs-issued credit card.

A sample of the expenditures from Jones' portion of a July 2003 American Express bill: $301.37 for a watch, $227.37 for men's clothing, $1,150 for Tommy Hilfiger jeans, and $127.63 for items marked "spring seasonal" from Dillards-Henderson. The bill also included hundreds of dollars for groceries, hundreds more for clothing, and expenditures in Hawaii in excess of $4,300.

Total expenses for the period in question: $9,494.63.

Jimmerson said Tuesday that Jones has settled all outstanding financial issues with Isaacs. Isaacs, meanwhile, has yet to get satisfaction from Cecrle and is angry with the judge.

"I was gullible," Isaacs said. "I admit that. But I relied on the credibility and reputation of the judge to make my decision. In retrospect, that was a big mistake."

Isaacs said his repeated attempts to recover his investment from Cecrle led him to ask Judge Jones to intervene in 2003. Jones admitted he drew up a memorandum of understanding and confession of judgment in which Cecrle promised to pay Isaacs $2 million to satisfy all their outstanding financial obligations. The document was notarized by Jones' secretary, Connie Avila.

Eckert, who also received an Isaacs-issued American Express card, said he was present for a business discussion in the judge's chambers and lost a substantial, but unspecific, sum of money to Cecrle. But Eckert denied Jones was a partner in the deal and calls Isaacs vindictive.

"I haven't talked to Cecrle in a long, long time, and I wrote him off," Eckert said Monday. "I think Tom suckered (Jones) like he did everybody else."

Business was discussed in Jones' chambers under his nose. Jones benefited from the misguided generosity of one of the partners. Jones drew up the legal settlement between Cecrle and Isaacs, which isn't worth the paper it's printed on.

If he wasn't a business partner and wasn't acting as a judge, was he practicing law?

Judge Steven Jones has some serious explaining to do.

If not to law enforcement authorities, then at least to the voters who elected him to sit in judgment of others.

John L. Smith's column appears Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. E-mail him at Smith@reviewjournal.com or call 383-0295.