from staff
Public Defender Matt Shirk has named Kate Bedell the new director of Clay County for the Office of Fourth Circuit Public Defender. Bedell will oversee a staff of seven attorneys, one investigator and three support team members.
“Kate has demonstrated a tremendous administrative ability serving in Duval County as a Felony Unit Division Chief,” said Shirk. “Our Clay County office continues to see a large caseload and the directorship is a key position in this Circuit. I have full faith in Kate’s abilities as an attorney and as a manager as she leads our office in Green Cove Springs.”
Bedell becomes the second female to be named a legal director in the Shirk administration. She started with the Fourth Circuit Public Defender’s office in September of this year where she was named division chief in the Circuit Court Unit. For nearly seven years prior, she worked as an assistant state attorney in Duval and Clay counties, most recently serving as a high level prosecutor in the Special Operations Unit.
“It’s an honor to accept this promotion and I am excited to work with the terrific staff in the Clay County Office of the Public Defender,” said Bedell, who went to law school at the University of Florida and graduated in 2002. “There are certainly going to be challenges as growth in the county translates to a larger case count for the office. However, we have a strong, capable team in place, and I’m certain we will succeed in providing our clients with the quality representation they deserve and the Constitution requires. This is a wonderful opportunity for me both personally and professionally.”