State District Judge Vicki Isaacks, a Republican, announced Tuesday she would retire from the bench when her current term ends in December 2008.

Vicki Isaacks

Isaacks, 50, said she considered her decision carefully and determined this was best for her family.

“I couldn’t put my family through another campaign,” the Carrollton resident said.

Then-Gov. George W. Bush appointed Isaacks as judge in 2000, when the 393rd District Court was created. She is the only judge to ever hold that position.

Republican Party Chairwoman Dianne Edmondson said Isaacks will be missed, but there are a number of talented people in the county who would be interested in the job.

“We wish her well,” Edmondson said. “She would have been a formidable candidate.”

The 393rd District Court handles all types of family law cases, including divorce and child abuse cases, as well as some civil cases. It does not handle criminal cases.

Two Republican Denton lawyers, Steve Burgess and Doug Robison, had already announced their candidacy for her seat in the past few months.

“First, I want to thank her for her eight years of service,” Robison said. “I can certainly understand why she would put her family first — that should always be one’s first priority.”

Burgess said that he wishes Isaacks all the best, but his focus is on winning what is sure to be a difficult election.

“I still have a tough road ahead of me and I plan on hustling every bit as hard, if not harder, to try to win this race,” he said.

Before taking her seat on the bench, Isaacks served as legal adviser to the Irving Police Department and as assistant district attorney for Dallas County, in charge of the family violence and child abuse division. Her husband, Bruce Isaacks, was the Denton County district attorney from 1990 to 2006, but lost his bid for re-election to Paul Johnson last year.

Vicki Isaacks has been a popular judge during her tenure in Denton County, especially within the child-advocate community, said Sherri Gideon, executive director of Court Appointed Special Advocates of Denton County.

“We are really sad to see her go,” Gideon said. “She is an incredibly caring person. She brought an important vision to the bench — all on behalf of the kids.”

But she also has seen some controversy in recent years. In 2005, a Denton lawyer filed a lawsuit against the county alleging that Isaacks had violated the Texas Constitution by ordering the county to pay for lawyers in private divorce cases. Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott agreed and wrote an opinion that stated Texas law permits the county to pay for attorneys only in criminal and Child Protective Services cases — not divorce cases.

Issacks had argued that she appointed attorneys to represent children in only 2 percent of cases to give children a voice during contentious divorce proceedings.

Isaacks has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas at Arlington and a law degree from St. Mary’s University School of Law.

MONTY MILLER JR. can be reached at 940-566-6875. His e-mail address is mwmiller@dentonrc.com.