Harry Shorstein
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| State Attorney Harry Shorstein | |
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| In office 1992 - 2008 |
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| Preceded by | Ed Austin |
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| Succeeded by | TBD |
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| Born | 1941 |
| Profession | Attorney |
Harry L. Shorstein (born 1941) is an American lawyer who has served as State Attorney for the 4th Judicial Circuit of Florida, covering Duval, Clay and Nassau counties,[1] since April 1991 after being appointed to the post by Governor Lawton Chiles. He was elected to a full term in 1992, re-elected in 1996, and ran unopposed in 2000 and 2004. At a February 6th, 2007 news conference, the 66 year old lawyer announced that he would not run for re-election in 2008.[2] He lives in Jacksonville
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[edit] Early life and career
Shorstein grew up in Jacksonville and received his bachelor's and law degrees from the University of Florida in Gainesville. After graduating from law school, he was sent to Vietnam as a Captain in the 3rd Marine Division. He served active combat duty during the Tet Offensive, the Battle of Hue, and the siege of Khe Sanh. Shorstein was awarded a Bronze Star with Combat "V," a Combat Action Ribbon, the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry, and a Presidential Unit Citation.
Shorstein experienced both the defense and prosecution of criminal cases. His first job after returning from Vietnam was Division Head in the Office of the Public Defender. He switched sides in 1970, working for the prosecution as Division Head and Chief Assistant State Attorney. In 1974, Mr. Shorstein began two years as General Counsel for the City of Jacksonville, then switched to private practice for 15 years.
[edit] Juvenile justice
Harry Shorstein instituted a juvenile justice program that combines prevention with punishment and rehabilitation. The Jacksonville approach uses early intervention for at-risk youth, incarceration for violent and repeat offenders, and rehabilitation programs with extensive education.
Since the implementation of Shorstein's strategy, juvenile crime in Jacksonville has fallen faster and further than nearly anywhere in the country. From 1993 to 1996, murders committed by juveniles dropped 72%, juvenile arrests for other violent crimes were down by 53%, and the number of vehicle thefts committed by juveniles decreased by nearly 60%. Florida State University conducted a study to determine the benefits of the plan. They projected that the plan prevented more than 8,700 crimes from 1992-95 and saved potential victims $18 million in damages.
However, other the same can not be said for the adult offender program, especially the murder rate, which has given Jacksonville the distinction of being Florida’s murder capital for 12 of last 17 years. As a prosecutor he won convictions in all of the 30-35 murder trials he personally prosecuted, but those are but a small fraction of the total homicide cases tried by the state.
[edit] Awards
Harry Shorstein has received numerous prosecutorial awards and honors. Mr. Shorstein's juvenile justice program has been profiled on CBS's 60 Minutes, NBC Nightly News with Tom Brokaw and The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer, and in U. S. News and World Report, The New York Times, USA Today and Parade Magazine.[3]
| Preceded by Ed Austin |
State Attorney, 4th Judicial Circuit 1991–2008 |
Succeeded by TDB |
