by Joe Wilhelm Jr.
Staff Writer
Soon after the new Public Defender for the Fourth Judicial Circuit took his hand off a Bible to be sworn in Jan. 6, it was on a steering wheel headed south.
There was little time to “let the dust settle” at the Public Defender’s Office after Matt Shirk put the finishing touches on his staff.
“There will be a few more hires, but the office is pretty much set,” said Shirk on Jan. 6. “I don’t have time to really get acclimated to the office because of meetings right now. I’ll be in Daytona on the 7th for the board meeting of the Florida Public Defender Association and in Tallahassee on Monday (Jan. 12) for orientation to the budget process. It should be a busy few weeks.”
The Tallahassee trip looms large on his calendar as the State Legislature looks for ways to reduce the State’s budget, but Shirk feels comfortable traveling to the capital.
“I had the opportunity over the past 10 months to meet and talk with members of the Duval Delegation,” said Shirk. “We’ve talked about the budget issues facing the state.”
These won’t be the first meetings Shirk has taken in the line of duty. He has also talked with Sheriff John Rutherford, who philosophically is on the other side of the law.
“We have had a couple of meetings already and we will work together. Certainly there are things we can do to create efficiencies. We will work with Matt just as we worked with Bill White,” said Rutherford. “Obviously there is somewhat of an adversarial relationship. We are trying to put guys in jail and they are trying to keep them out. But it’s a professional relationship. Still, there are things we can do to help each other make the system work better for the public. I don’t want innocent people to go to jail.”
Shirk has set in motion his vision of an efficient office. He plucked Jackie Lunsford, AMIO-Internal Auditor in the Administration and Finance Department and Denise Ostertag, AMIO-Adult Services in the Recreation and Community Services Department from the City. Lunsford will be his director of finance and Ostertag will be director of administration and human resources. Former Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office Patrol and Enforcement Director Alton Kelly will be Shirk’s director of investigations.
Changes that have been made regarding Assistant Public Defenders include the hiring of Refik Eler as chief assistant public defender and homicide director. Homicide Division Chief Gonzalo Andux will be Eler’s second in command.
“Refik is one of the best lawyers in Jacksonville and we are lucky to get him,” said Shirk. “His experience and talent will benefit the Public Defender’s Office greatly.”
Shirk has also hired Quentin Till to work in the Homicide Division. Till brings nearly 40 years of legal experience to the Public Defenders Office.
Rob Mason has been promoted to director of the juvenile division.
“Rob is a nationally recognized juvenile lawyer and one of the best kept secrets of the office,” said Shirk. “We need someone like him to lead that division because the juvenile program can really have an impact on stopping the cycle of crime.”
Fred Gazaleh has been selected as director of the Circuit Court (felony) division and Frank Shoemaker will lead the County Court (misdemeanor) division.
Lewis Buzzell, Clay County and Brian Morrissey, Nassau County, will remain as directors of the public defender branch offices in their respective counties.
Shirk has also made some policy changes for the Public Defender’s Office. He has brought back the chief assistant public defender position to help with the administrative process. His predecessor, Bill White, continued to perform the duties of the chief assistant, which includes managing the budget, after he took over for Lou Frost. The Special Investigation Division, which was created to handle high profile cases, has been disbanded.
“The cases will stay in the divisions instead of having lawyers floating to serve the more notable cases,” said Shirk. “This will mean more attorneys in each division to help with the case load.”
He also plans to conduct performance evaluations on a regular basis and develop a set of guidelines for raises and promotions.
“Raises and promotions were not necessarily awarded with any set criteria in the past,” said Shirk. “There is some policy, but it is vague.”
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