Chief Assistant Public Defender Kevin McCarthy recently announced his candidacy for county court judge in the Sixteenth Judicial Circuit, Group 2, a seat being vacated by Judge Mark Wilson, who is running to succeed the retiring Judge Mark Jones as circuit court judge.
A longtime resident of the Florida Keys, McCarthy has served as an assistant public defender in Monroe County since 2011. He was promoted to chief assistant public defender in 2017 by Public Defender Robert Lockwood.
In his more than 14 years of service, McCarthy has represented clients in thousands of cases, ranging from misdemeanors to the most serious felonies. He is one of only a small number of attorneys in Monroe County qualified to serve in death-penalty proceedings.
As chief assistant public defender, he has supervised, mentored and trained dozens of attorneys.
McCarthy is a graduate of Key West High School. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Emory University in Atlanta, and his law degree, cum laude, from the University of Miami School of Law. He practiced civil litigation at a private firm in Miami before returning to Key West in 2011.
McCarthy is an active member of Sunrise Rotary, the Southernmost Hockey League, the Monroe County Bar Association, and the Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. He serves on the board of directors of A Positive Step of Monroe County, assists local schools with their mock trial programs, and is a member of the Statewide Death Penalty Advisory Committee and the Florida Public Defenders’ Association.
Since 2015, he has taught criminal justice courses at St. Leo University, helping numerous service members and law enforcement professionals complete their college degrees. He is certified to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court.
“I am deeply honored to seek this position and committed to continuing to serve the people of Monroe County with fairness, integrity and respect for the rule of law,” McCarthy said of his candidacy for county judge.
Kevin McCarthy is married to local attorney Tiffany Curry. They are the parents of two
children.
The nonpartisan election for County Court Judge, Group 2, will be held on Aug. 18.
