Two incumbents to face challengers in Family Court races

Four primary races for Family Court judge seats saw two incumbent judges move on to the November ballot and 12 candidates vying for two newly created seats.

Incumbent Family Court Judge Steve Jones will face off against Maria Maskall for the Department C judgeship.

With 100 percent of precincts reporting, Jones collected 43 percent of the vote. Maskall garnered 29 percent of the vote, outlasting opponent Denise Pifer and her 28 percent.

Jones' personal relationships have created controversies in recent years. In 2006, he was acquitted of a domestic battery charge involving his girlfriend after she recanted previous statements in the case. Jones has said he is still in a relationship with the woman, who is battling alcoholism and mental health issues.

In 1996, Jones called police during a fight that ended with his then-wife being sent to jail. Five months pregnant, Deborah Jones is alleged to have hit him with a flower arrangement and a shower curtain rod.

Maskall, who has run for two Family Court seats before, is a practicing attorney.

Family Court Judge Bill Gonzalez pulled in 41 percent of the vote and will face John Eccles in November for the Department F seat.

Eccles won 33 percent of the vote, followed by Ellen Bezian with 26 percent.

Gonzalez was appointed to the seat in March 2009 by Gov. Jim Gibbons to fill a vacancy.

Eccles, a practicing attorney focusing in family law, has criticized Gonzalez for having limited Family Court knowledge when the governor appointed him.

Gonzalez has defended his record, stating he spent five years as a deputy public defender handling juvenile delinquency cases in Family Court before his appointment.

Two newly created Family Court judgeships featured 12 candidates competing for four slots in the November election.

In the Department S race, practicing attorneys Vincent Ochoa and Rebecca Wallace emerged from a field of seven. Ochoa collected 27 percent of the vote, followed by Wallace with 19 percent of the vote. The next closest candidate was Ethan Kottler with 13 percent.

Only five percentage points separated the five candidates fighting for two spots on the November ballot in the Department T judgeship race.

Carl Piazza, 22 percent, and frequent judicial candidate Gayle Nathan, 21 percent, narrowly beat out John Jensen and his 20 percent.

Contact reporter Francis McCabe at fmccabe@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-1039.