Matt Shirk
| Matthew A. Shirk | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Born | July 9, 1973 |
| Education | B.S. Western Illinois University Juris Doctor, Florida Coastal School of Law |
| Occupation | Lawyer |
| Employer | State of Florida |
| Title | Public Defender, Fourth Judicial Circuit |
| Term | 2009-2016 |
| Predecessor | Bill White |
| Successor | Charlie Cofer |
| Political party | Republican |
Matthew Aaron Shirk (born July 9, 1973) is an American lawyer and served as the Public Defender for Florida's Fourth Judicial Circuit. He was elected to the position, which covers Clay, Duval, and Nassau Counties, in 2008 and lost re-election in 2016. He is currently under investigation by the Florida Bar for actions while in office.
Shirk graduated from Western Illinois University with a bachelor of science degree in 1997, and subsequently moved to Jacksonville, Florida, where he earned a law degree from the Florida Coastal School of Law in 1999. As a law student he interned at the State Attorney's office under the supervision of prosecutor Angela Corey, who was elected State Attorney in 2008. Shirk married Sarah Maria Purdy on March 13, 1999 and was admitted to the Florida Bar on April 12, 2000, and then worked for five years as an Assistant Public Defender (APD) in the Fourth Judicial Circuit Court. After divorcing his first wife, Shirk married Michelle Burney in 2004, and the couple have one son, Pierce. He left the Public Defender's office and was associated with the Jacksonville law firm of Tassone & Eler for almost two years before opening a private practice with William Durden III in November 2006.
In 2008 Shirk, a Republican, ran for Public Defender of Florida's Fourth Judicial Circuit Court. Some commentators criticized Shirk's lack of homicide experience as well as his pledge not to take a confrontational stance with law enforcement if he were elected, in contrast to the typically adversarial relationship between defense attorneys and law enforcement. However, Shirk stressed that his role was to manage the office, not necessarily to be the lead attorney. Shirk won the election 51% to 49% with a margin of 14,246 votes. The win was considered an upset, partly because it was the first time a Republican had run for the office since the state of Florida established the position in 1963.
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