ATTORNEY 3 - SUPERVISING PUBLIC DEFENDER

OVERVIEW

The Kitsap County Office of Public Defense is staffed with outstanding attorneys dedicated to providing high quality representation to individuals charged with felony crimes.

We have an exciting opportunity for a SUPERVISING PUBLIC DEFENDER (ATTORNEY 3) to join our team.

The incumbent will be responsible for supervising other public defenders as well as preparing and trying complex felony cases in Superior Court.

This is an “at will” appointed position. An “at will” employee’s continued employment with the County is at the discretion of the Chief Public Defender and his/her appointment may be revoked at any time with or without cause and without right to appeal.

QUALIFICATIONS FOR PERFORMANCE OF THE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

Required Education and Experience:

• Juris Doctorate from a recognized and accredited law school; AND,
• Eight years of criminal trial work experience with a significant amount of jury trial and/or courtroom experience, and must be qualified to handle contested trial matters with moderate to low supervision ; AND,
• An active member in good standing of the Washington State Bar Association.

Preferred Experience:

• Sufficient trial experience to be qualified to handle all levels of felonies at trial
• Experience working with Kitsap County Courts
• Death Penalty Certification
• Supervisory and/or leadership experience

Criminal Conviction Standards:

• The successful incumbent will or may have unsupervised access to children under 18 years of age, a vulnerable adult, or a vulnerable person, or access to a secured/confidential facility or computer system(s). As a result, Kitsap County will be conducting an extensive criminal background check by law enforcement agencies, which will include fingerprinting.

Please review the following list of disqualifying crimes and negative actions to determine if you meet our standard for this position: https://www.dshs.wa.gov/sites/default/files/FSA/bccu/documents/Secretary%27sCrimesListforALLPrograms.pdf

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS AND WORKING ENVIRONMENT

(The physical demands described are representative of those that must be met by the employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Kitsap County provides reasonable accommodation to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.)

• Work is performed in an office/courtroom/jail environment with off-site visits to interview witnesses, view alleged crime scenes, attend mental health evaluations in mental hospitals, etc. as necessary.
  
• Courtroom trial activity requires the ability to communicate effectively and respond appropriately to courtroom activity and circumstances as they arise.
  Must have the ability to read police reports, medical and mental health evaluations, operate a computer, and work in what is frequently a high stress environment.
  
• Incumbents may be exposed to hostile individuals while in the courtroom setting, while visiting sites and interviewing witnesses, especially at off-site locations.
  

ILLUSTRATIVE EXAMPLE OF DUTIES

• Preparing and trying, with little supervision, primarily felony level criminal cases in Superior Court, and handling appeals (when necessary) to the Washington State Court of Appeals and Supreme Court, often involving complex litigation.
• Handle occasional misdemeanor cases, and a full felony caseload and high profile cases, including Aggravated Murder cases.
• Monitor caseloads of public defenders in unit as the office increases in size, maintain the office standards for case assignments, caseloads, and case dispositions, while mentoring newer public defenders toward becoming highly effective courtroom advocates.
• Assist the Chief Public Defender in coordinating and monitoring the myriad indigent defense contracts between the county and local law firms and solo practitioners.
• Attend meetings and discharge duties in place of the Chief Public Defender as directed.
• Work with outside entities as necessary to promote the overall goals of county-wide effective indigent defense services including expert witness and investigation resources, conflict attorney panels, mental health advocates, and court, prosecuting attorney, and corrections staff members.
• Appellate unit: Perfect Notice of Appeal after trials, and occasionally handle appeal in limited, appropriate situations.
• Appear for scheduled work with regular, reliable and punctual attendance.
• Establish and maintain cooperative, effective, and productive working relationships with clients, subordinates, opposing counsel, court, prosecutor, and corrections staff alike using tact, patience, courtesy, and when the occasion may call for it, humility.
• Effectively plan and organize work and complete tasks within prescribed timeframes. May often be required to work over 40 hours in a workweek.

OTHER POSITION RELATED INFORMATION

• Who May Apply: This position is open to the general public. Applications will be screened for qualifications and completion of all the required materials and forms. The most competitive applicants may be contacted for further steps in the selection process, which may include testing for office and computer skills.
• This position is classified as exempt from overtime under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)
• Non-represented and covered under the Kitsap County Personnel Manual.
• Classified as "at will". Incumbent's continued employment is at the discretion of the Chief Public Defender.
• Kitsap County is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran status, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable laws, regulations and ordinances. We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements. If you need assistance and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application or the recruiting process, please contact our Human Resources Office.
• This recruitment is being used to fill an existing open position and may be used to fill future openings for up to six (6) months.
• Work hours for this position are Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Flexible hours are available, as approved by management.
• Only authorized employees and hiring authorities have access to the application materials submitted. Per RCW 42.56.250, all applications for public employment, including the names of applicants, resumes, and other related materials submitted with respect to an applicant are exempt from public inspection.

At Kitsap County, we strive to take care of our team! Our employees are the greatest asset of Kitsap County, and we take pride in offering a highly competitive compensation and benefits package to all eligible employees.

County Paid Benefits Include:
Medical - Kaiser Permanente (HMO) or Aetna (PPO)
Dental -Delta Dental or Willamette
Vision - VSP
Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA)
Life Insurance - Basic, Accidental Death and Dismemberment (AD&D), Voluntary Term Life Insurance (VTL)
Disability - Short-term disability & Long-term disability
Voya Voluntary Insurance
Transportation incentives
Employee Assistance Program
Travel Assistance Program
Wellness program https://spf.kitsapgov.com/hr/Pages/Wellness.aspx
Benefits become effective on the first calendar day of the month following the month in which the employee is hired except if the employee's hire date is the first calendar day of the month, benefits begin on the day of hire. More information about employee benefits is available on the county's website at: https://spf.kitsapgov.com/hr/Pages/Benefits.aspx or the Kitsap County Digital Benefits Guide .

*Voluntary benefit options also available at the employee's expense

Retirement:
Employees are covered under the PERS retirement plan provided through the Washington State Department of Retirement Systems and Social Security.

Deferred Compensation (IRS Plan 457b): tax-deferred savings program

Holidays
11 paid holidays and 2 additional floating holiday per year

Vacation Leave
New employees are credited with 48 hours of annual leave upon hire and will be begin accruing at the rate of 8 hours per month starting on their 7th month of employment. Employees may carry over 360 hours from one calendar year to the next. Annual leave accrual will increase upon tenure, as follows:

Upon completion of 3 years: 15 days per year (10.00 hours per month)
Upon completion of 5 years: 20 days per year (13.33 hours per month)
Upon completion of 10 years: 25 days per year (16.67 hours per month)
Sick Leave
All new hires will be credited with 48 hours of sick leave upon hire and will begin accruing at the rate of 8 hours per month starting on their 7th month of employment. Employees may carry over 1200 hours from one calendar year to the next.

***Part-time employees benefit contributions and leave accruals will beprorated***

Current County Employees
If you are transferring or promoting into this position you are responsible for reviewing these benefit changes; prior to accepting a position. In addition, it is your responsibility to notify the Auditor's Payroll Division of a change in union status.

Union Membership
This position is covered under Prosecuting Attorney Guildcollective bargaining agreement. To view the bargaining agreement please visit our website: https://www.kitsapgov.com/hr/Pages/Collective-Bargaining-Agreements.aspx

NOTE: This is a general overview of the benefits offered through employment with Kitsap County, and every effort has been made to ensure its accuracy. If any information on this document conflicts or is incorrect with the provisions of the Personnel Manual, applicable laws, policies, rules or official plan documents they will prevail. The Personnel Manual is available at: https://www.kitsapgov.com/hr/Pages/Personnel-Manual-2019.aspx

Closing Date/Time: 10/25/2024 12:00 AM Pacific

• 

• KITSAP COUNTY

• 360.337.7185

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