INVESTIGATOR II, PUBLIC DEFENDER

Position/Program Information

LAW OFFICES OF THE LOS ANGELES COUNTY
ALTERNATE PUBLIC DEFENDER
FILING START DATE
February 2, 2016 @ 8:00 a.m.
(Until the needs of the Service are met and is subject to closure without prior notice)
EXAM NUMBER 7-2901-J
TYPE OF RECRUITMENT
Open Competitive Job Opportunity

REPOSTING INFORMATION:
This announcement is a reposting to add COVID-19 VACCINATION information. Persons who have already applied need not to reapply.

DEFINITION:
Plans and conducts difficult criminal investigations to support the defense of persons represented by the Alternate Public Defender.

CLASSIFICATION STANDARDS:
Positions allocable to this class work in the Alternate Public Defender's Office under the technical and administrative direction of an Investigator III, Public Defender. Incumbents are assigned to conduct difficult investigations under basic investigation guidelines where they act independently analyzing evidence using a broad range of investigative techniques to develop basic or additional evidence support of the defense. Incumbents must possess skill in applying a thorough knowledge of investigative procedures, court and legal proceedings, interviewing, and obtaining information from various sources, both public and private. They must also possess a thorough knowledge of the California Penal Code, California Vehicle Code, and the rules of evidence.

Essential Job Functions

Plans and conducts investigations to support the defense in a wide variety of major adult and juvenile criminal cases such as those involving numerous defendants or multiple offenses. Examines the scene of the crime, locates and identifies material evidence, and records findings. Obtains information concerning the whereabouts of witnesses by interviewing employers, public agencies, families, neighbors, and others or by accessing a computerized data base; follows leads and locates witnesses by means of telephone inquiries and searches of directories, utility records, Department of Motor Vehicles records, and records of other organizations and other agencies. Interviews and obtains information from witnesses and determines whether there is sufficient basis for the witness to be subpoenaed for court testimony. Testifies in court as the investigator of record and makes subsequent in-trial investigations, as required. Prepares detailed reports of completed investigations to support the defense. Conducts a variety of other investigations including applicant employment verification with department, financial background of clients and persons applying for rehabilitation and pardon certificates as needed.

Requirements

SELECTION REQUIREMENTS:

OPTION I: Three years of full-time * investigative experience at the level of Los Angeles County class of Investigator I, Public Defender**

OPTION II: Five years of law enforcement experience as a full-time* paid police officer as defined in Section 830.1 of the Penal Code of the State of California, one year of which must include criminal justice investigative experience.

All qualifying experience must be within 10 years of the application date.

LICENSE: A valid California Class C Driver License is required to perform job-related essential functions. Applicants will be required to provide a personal automobile and drive them in the County service at the rate of compensation allowed by the Board of Supervisors.

PHYSICAL CLASS: 4 - Arduous: Involves frequent heavy lifting over 25 pounds, often combined with bending, twisting, or working on irregular surfaces; and occasionally requires extraordinary physical activity.

OTHER REQUIREMENTS:
Physical Requirements: Applicants must be in good general physical condition, free from disease or defects that would interfere with the satisfactory performance of the duties of this position.

Vision: (1) Acuity - At least 20/70 in each eye without correction, correctable to 20/30 in each eye. (2) Color perception - Anything other than minor hue impairment is disqualifying.

Hearing: There may be no greater than a 25 dB loss in the better ear as averaged over the test frequencies of 500, 1000, 2000, and 3000 Hz. There may not be a peak loss at any of the test frequencies greater than:

30 dB at 500 Hz
30 dB at 1000 Hz
40 dB at 2000 Hz
40 dB at 3000 Hz

There may be no greater than a 35 dB loss in the worse ear as averaged over the test frequencies, and no peak loss greater than 45 dB at any of the test frequencies. In the case of a questionable, unusual, or borderline hearing loss, the applicant's record will be reviewed by the Occupational Health Service consultant in otolaryngology, who will make a recommendation as to the applicant's employability, and forward it to the Medical Director for final disposition.

COVID-19 VACCINATION:
All County workforce members must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as a condition of employment. Successful candidates for this position will be required to submit proof of vaccination against COVID-19 or request an exemption for qualifying medical or religious reasons during the onboarding process. Candidates should not present proof of vaccination until instructed to do so by the hiring department.

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS:
Knowledge of California criminal law.
Excellent verbal communications and interpersonal skills.
Comprehensive knowledge of computer programs, including Microsoft Word, Internet Explorer, and LexisNexis.

Additional Information

SPECIAL REQUIREMENT INFORMATION:
License Information: Successful applicants for this position will be required to obtain a copy of his/her driving record from the California State Department of Motor Vehicles before being appointed. A copy of your driving record must be presented at the time of your appointment. License must not be suspended, restricted, or revoked. An applicant whose driving record shows four or more moving violations within the two years will not be appointed.

*Experience is evaluated on the basis of a verifiable 40-hour workweek. Work performed part-time will be prorated on a month-for-month basis.

**To qualify under Option I, the applicant must have experience at the level of Investigator I, Public Defender. Investigator I Public Defender is defined as : Conducts criminal investigations of limited scope and complexity to support the defense of persons represented by the Public Defender.

EXAMINATION CONTENT: This examination will consist of an interview weighted 100%. The oral interview will assess education, training, experience, personal fitness and general ability to perform the duties of the position.

Candidates must achieve a passing score 70% or higher on the examination in order to be placed on the eligible register.

FINGERPRINTING AND SECURITY CLEARANCE:
Before a final appointment is made to this position, successful candidates are subject to security clearance which includes to undergo and pass a thorough background investigation, including a Live Scan fingerprint search. An individual may be withheld from appointment, if he/she has a conviction record incompatible with the essential duties of the position for which he/she has applied. Any false statement or omission of material fact may cause forfeiture of employment rights. Information presented on employment applications, resumes and during the examination process is subject to verification.

Example of disqualifying factors are:
-Poor employment history
-Any felony conviction or conviction of a misdemeanor involving moral turpitude
-Job related misdemeanor convictions
-Certain serious traffic convictions or patterns of traffic violations such as three (3) moving violations in one year or failure to appear.
-Substance abuse

VACANCY INFORMATION: The eligible register resulting from this examination will be used to fill vacancies in the office of the Alternate Public Defender. Appointees for this position must be able and willing to work in any area of Los Angeles County and may be subject to transfer at any time.

ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION: Successful candidates will be placed on the eligible register in order of their score group for a period of six (6) months following the date of promulgation. Passing this examination and being placed on the eligible register does not guarantee an offer of employment.

RETAKE PERIOD: No person may compete for this examination more than once every six (6) months. Applications will be processed on an as received basis and promulgated to the eligible register accordingly.

APPLICATION AND FILING INFORMATION: All applicants are required to submit a standard County of Los Angeles Employment Application online (via NEOGOV electronic submission) ONLY. Applications submitted by US Mail, Fax, or in person will not be accepted.

To Apply for this examination, click on the "Apply" tab located on the top right corner of the screen. Your application must be submitted electronically by 5:00 p.m., PST, on the last day of filing. Visit the NEOGOV website at https:www.governmentjobs.com/careers/lacounty.

Fill out your application completely. The acceptance of your application depends on whether you have clearly shown that you meet the requirements. Provide any relevant education, training, and experience in the spaces provided so we can evaluate your qualifications for the job. For each job held, give the name and address of your employer, your job title, beginning and ending dates, number of hours worked per week, description of work performed, and salary earned. If your applications is incomplete it will be rejected. All information is subject to verification. This exam may close at any time without prior notice. We may reject your application at any time during the selection process.

ATTACHMENT: Applicants may upload required or additional documents (i.e. copy of degree, certification, etc.) as attachments at the time of filing. If you are unable to attach the required and/or additional documents at the time of filing, you may email them to mcordero@apd.lacounty.gov within fifteen (15) calendar days of online filing. Please include the exam number and the exam title in the subject line.

SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER: All applicants must enter a valid social security number at the time of filing. Entering anything other than a valid social security (i.e. 000-00-0000, 111-11-1111, etc.) will result in an automatic rejection of your application.

COMPUTER AND INTERNET ACCESS AT LIBRARIES: For candidates who may not have regular access to a computer or the internet, applications can be completed on computers at public libraries throughout Los Angeles County.

NO SHARING OF USER ID AND PASSWORD: All applicants must file their applications online using their own user ID and password. Using a family member or friend's user ID and password may erase a candidate's original application record.

Department Contact Name: Maria Cordero
Department Contact Phone: (213) 974-8244
Department Contact Email: mcordero@apd.lacounty.gov
ADA Coordinator Phone: (213) 974-8244
Teletype Phone: (213) 974-0911
California Relay Services Phone:(800)735-2922

For detailed information, please click here

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• Los Angeles County

• (800) 970-5478

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