JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A Duval County grand jury has been investigating Public Defender Matt Shirk, a source tells News4Jax.
As a result, there are now two investigations going on now into Shirk's activities.
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In August 2013, Gov. Rick Scott appointed Gainesville State Attorney Bill Cervone as a special prosecutor looking into the original allegations about activities in the Fourth Judicial Circuit Public Defender's Office. In July, Cervone asked the governor for more time to complete his investigation.
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 -- literally -- when his wife, Michelle, filed for divorce, saying their 10-year marriage was "irretrievably broken."
COURT DOCUMENT: Tiffany Ice vs. Matthew Shirk
And last month, Shirk was 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.