Name: Mat Harter Age: 40 Occupation: Attorney Name: John Jensen Age: 59 Occupation: Family Court guardianship compliance officer Name: Thomas G. Kurtz Age: 54 Occupation: Attorney, alternate hearing master Name: Robert W. Lueck Age: 58 Occupation: Attorney Name: Maria Maskall Age: 43 Occupation: Attorney Name: William S. Potter Age: 37 Occupation: Attorney Name: Dawn R. Throne Age: 36 Occupation: Attorney

Voters for Family Court's newly created Department M judgeship can't complain about a lack of choices.

The field of seven candidates includes practicing attorneys, a former judge, a Family Court guardian compliance officer and an alternate hearing master.

The top two vote-getters in the nonpartisan primary will advance to the November general election. The winner of the race must run again in 2008 for a full, six-year term.

"I'm the only one with a plan," said attorney Robert Lueck, a graduate of the University of Notre Dame's law school who served as a family court judge from 1999-2004.

Lueck has a nine-point proposal to improve efficiency and reduce the time it takes for cases to conclude. He wants more staff for dispute resolution, greater use of mediation services and more publicity about the alternatives for resolving domestic disputes.

William Potter, a Henderson native who earned his law degree in 1996 from Brigham Young University, said Family Court needs a judge who will expedite cases so families can reach a resolution and rebuild their lives.

"I'm willing to make a decision," said Potter. "So many judges are afraid to do that."

Potter also believes his business management skills make him ideal for the position. He runs his own practice and handles a high caseload, Potter said.

John Jensen, who also earned his law degree from BYU, entered the race with one particular concern. Working as a guardianship compliance officer for the last seven years, Jensen, who oversees enforcement of awards made by Family Court judges, said he has seen a disturbing increase in abuse and financial exploitation of the elderly.

"The elderly are often reluctant to report it," Jensen said, explaining the abuse is a source of shame and might involve family.

Jensen said that he would advocate seeking more resources for prevention and prosecution of those crimes. He would also seek to close cases more quickly.

Dawn Throne, a graduate of the University of Arizona's law school, has been a practicing attorney in Clark County since 1996. She is now a managing member of Pecos Legal Services.

She said her candidacy is driven by a desire to help people going through hard times.

Throne said she would focus on treating all who appear before her with objectivity. Tensions in Family Court run high, Throne said, and the perception that someone wasn't heard makes that worse.

"What people can expect from me is a Family Court judge who will decide cases on the facts, not on who their lawyers are," Throne said.

Thomas Kurtz, who earned his law degree from the State University of New York, Buffalo, has served as an alternate hearing master at Family Court since 1991. That, and two decades of practicing law, have prepared him to be a judge, Kurtz said.

"It isn't just about knowing the law," Kurtz said. "It's about knowing people and being able to discern when they're being honest and when they're not."

Kurtz said he believes reforms are needed to allow broader discretion in awarding shared custody of children, one of the most contentious aspects of divorce.

Mat Harter, a Bonanza High School graduate who earned his law degree from the Thomas M. Cooley Law School in Michigan, is making his sixth bid to be a judge.

During the past 12 years, Harter's practice has centered on family law, he said. Through that experience, he knows exactly what kind of judge he doesn't want to be.

"Some judges won't let you say anything in court," Harter said. "Other judges let everyone talk incessantly. It's a fine line."

Harter said that if elected, one change he would push for better drug testing.

Many Family Court cases involve court-ordered drug tests, Harter said. And many people who abuse substances get around that requirement by waiting a few days to clear their system or taking products that allows them to get a false negative on the test.

Testing needs to be done on-site, as soon as a judge orders it, Harter said.

Maria Maskall could not be reached for comment.