JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The grand jury investigating Public Defender Matt Shirk requested and received an extension of its term from the chief judge.
The term was scheduled to expire at the end of October, but now has been extended to run through the end of January so the grand jury can conclude a pending investigation, said State Attorney Bill Cervone, who was appointed as a special prosecutor in the Shirk case.
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"Regarding the Shirk assignment, it remains open and under investigation, and I am hopeful that we will conclude our work by the end of the calendar year," Cervone said in a statement.
Allegations of impropriety became public last summer when a Florida Times-Union investigation revealed two investigators in the Public Defender's Office quit over Shirk's hiring and firing of Tiffany Ice and two other women with no prior legal experience. Two of the women worked at Whisky River nightclub at the St. Johns Town Center prior to being hired at the Public Defender's Office.
On Sept. 11, 2013, dozens of documents were released, including this email exchange between Shirk and one of the women he hired:
T.L. Ice: "Let's get a group together and do Vegas for our birthdays."
Shirk: "Ha! that would be fun."
On Sept. 25, 2013, more documents were released. Almost a month later, on Oct. 18, phone records between Shirk and some of his staff were released to the public.
By December, Shirk's problems hit home when his wife, Michelle, filed for divorce, saying their 10-year marriage was "irretrievably broken."
Shirk was later sued by Ice, a former employee who claims he asked her to shower with him, sent inappropriate messages to her, and was confronted by Shirk's wife, then was fired without cause.
The lawsuit claims gender discrimination, sexual harassment, hostile workplace and libel. The suit asks for monetary damages, attorney's fees and Ice's job and lost benefits restored.