The Eighth Judicial District Court is saddened and concerned about the tragedy

which occurred with the Dej-Oudom family. The mother filed an action for Divorce
and a Motion for temporary child custody determination on May 25. She focused her
motion on her concern that the father would take the children out of the state. A
hearing was set to hear her motion before the District Judge on June 22; although
neither she, nor the father appeared.
The mother also filed an application for a Temporary Protective Order (TPO) on June
8. Her application was reviewed by a Domestic Violence Hearing Master, who
determined, based upon information provided by the mother, that her request for a
TPO did not meet the statutory requirements to issue a temporary order. In her TPO
application, the mother referenced situations in Ohio many years ago between 2000
and 2007 involving the father and guns, but nothing that had recently occurred in
Las Vegas.
With the benefit of hindsight, it is arguable that the TPO should have been ordered.
However, regrettably, the mother did not present facts that would have statutorily
warranted the Hearing Master to grant her Protective Order; nor did she appear at a
June 22 hearing before a District Judge to obtain her requested relief.
Nevada Revised Statute 33.018 defines those acts which constitute domestic
violence. That law defines those acts as a battery, an assault, compelling the other
person to perform or to refrain from an act, a sexual assault, harassing conduct,
false imprisonment or unlawful entry into the other persons residence.
In her statement supporting her TPO application, the mother referenced receiving
harassing telephone calls on June 7 and the fathers continuing threat to take the
children out-of-state without her permission. She also stated that the father said if
anything were to happen to the children, hopes I can live w/ that and that this will
not end well. Another incident in mid May referenced a situation when the father
knocked a hat off mothers head and his refusal to leave until the mother spoke to
him outside. The father left after an hour and was told that he was no longer
welcome in that home. The application also referenced that the father was arrested
or charged with domestic violence in Ohio back in 2005. Based upon the information
provided by the mother, the Hearing Master determined that the standards outlined
in NRS 33.018 were not met.
The Domestic Violence Hearing Masters and District Judges in the Family Division
receive continual training in Domestic Violence issues. The Domestic Violence
Hearing Masters have attended three week-long intensive domestic violence
trainings in the last two years, two of which were conducted by the National Judicial
College and the other by the National Judicial Institute on Domestic Violence. The
Court also meets quarterly with our domestic violence community partners to
discuss concerns and ways to improve the Courts effectiveness.

The Court mourns the Dej-Oudom familys loss from this tragedy and will continue
to work with our community partners in addressing the far-reaching issue of
domestic violence in Clark County.