In the News

The State Attorney’s Office will again pay homage to the group of people who have made the office the respected, preeminent fixture of the local criminal justice system.

Shorstein grew up in the Riverside area with “the greatest mother in the world” and his brothers Jack and Bud, went to Lee High School, and earned his undergraduate and law degree from the University of Florida in 1965.

State Attorney Melissa Nelson has been appointed as a trustee to the Council on Criminal Justice, a new national criminal justice organization.

State Attorney Melissa Nelson has been appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis to the state Criminal Punishment Code Task Force.

After more than a decade serving the people of the Fourth Circuit, Chief Assistant State Attorney Mac Heavener will return to federal practice and join the United States Attorney’s Office in the Eastern District of Tennessee. His last day with the State Attorney’s Office will be July 5, 2019.

Two years ago, law enforcement from each agency in the Fourth Circuit and community stakeholders signed a historic agreement to expand the use of juvenile civil citations. The results are clear: the smart justice program is working.

We are pleased to announce that the Fourth Circuit State Attorney’s Office 2018 Annual Report has been published. It is uploaded to the sao4th.com website and is now live.

The State Attorney’s Office recently hosted its annual internal awards ceremony to recognize the exceptional efforts of attorneys, investigators, and support staff from 2018. In all, 12 individual awards were presented during the annual event, along with milestone honors for those who have been with the office for extended periods of time.

As organized groups and individuals continue to commit violent crimes in Jacksonville, State Attorney Melissa Nelson announces the expansion of the office’s Targeted Prosecution Unit to further identify, investigate, and prosecute these offenders.

Furthering a commitment toward greater accessibility and transparency for the public, State Attorney Melissa Nelson announces the office has partnered with GovQA to establish a new and improved online public records portal.