During 13 years as Dallas County assistant district attorney, prosecutor Mark Nancarrow tried thousands of criminal cases, including three for the death penalty.

During three years on the bench of the 204th Judicial District Court, Judge Mark Nancarrow has broadened his experience even more. He has presided over hundreds of felony criminal cases involving capital murders, robbery, sexual assault, burglary and drugs.

Yet Judge Nancarrow is far from bored or blasé.

""Just when I think I’ve seen it all, there always seems to be a new twist," Judge Nancarrow observes. "There’s an unusual crime or a new motive I’ve never heard. Criminals never cease to amaze me," he notes.

The constant flow of cases, the new twists on old cases and the ability to work with people he really enjoys combine to create a job that Judge Nancarrow calls "fun and satisfying. I really enjoy my work," he says.

Nevertheless, Judge Nancarrow admits that being a lawyer wasn’t a childhood dream.

"I really stumbled into it," he says candidly.

After graduating in 1977 with a degree in economics from Texas A&M "What do you do with a degree in economics?"), he decided to continue his education and go to law school. In 1980 he found himself in a similar situation - a degree from St. Mary’s Law School, but no real idea of what to do next. "A classmate was a grand jury foreman, and I found out there were openings in the district attorney’s office. So I interviewed and was hired by Henry Wade," Judge Nancarrow remembers.

Years later, becoming a judge seemed like a natural progression. "After being in the DA’s office, I was ready to try something new, and I know that being a criminal defense lawyers was not for me," he says. So he ran for the bench in 1994, won and will run unopposed this November for another four-year term.

In retrospect, Judge Nancarrow sees his career as a series of "good decisions made as they came up."

Now, he’s in a position to counsel lawyers who come to his court with an interest in criminal defense. "Criminal district court is not the best place to start," he advises. "Get some experience with misdemeanors or less serious crimes, so you’ll know how to handle both the crime and the client. The defendants here often have criminal histories. They’re out to get the best deal, and if they don’t, they may file grievances against their lawyers."

On the bench, Judge Nancarrow wants to be known as fair and balanced. "Some defense attorneys fear a judge straight out of the DA’s office," he notes. "I don’t want to be known as someone with an agenda. I’m just like an umpire. I’m not trying to create law from the bench, but just apply it and interpret it."

He credits his staff, including the district clerks; court coordinator Brian Bilbo, a former St. Mark’s classmate, and court reporter Susan Tabaee with assuring the smooth functioning of the 204th. "They take care of the details and that lets me do my job," Judge Nancarrow says.

Outside the courtroom, Judge Nancarrow, a "fairly good golfer with a six handicap," spends as much time as he can with his family: wife Lissy; sons Jason, 13, and Sam, 9; and both his and Mrs. Nancarrow’s parents, all of whom live in Dallas.

Born in Spain while his father was on assignment for a oil company, Judge Nancarrow moved to Texarkana, with his parents, brother and two sisters before he entered first grade. The next year the family moved to Dallas.

His parents returned to Spain this past Christmas for their second visit in as many years, again taking their grown children and spouses along. This time, the group of 10 circled Spain in a rented van and a station wagon.

While Spanish was the Judge’s first language, he explains, "I’m not fluent now, but I get my ideas across." As for Dallas Bar activities, Judge Nancarrow is drawn to a particular type - "anything that involves golf."