Deputy District Attorney IV

Position Information

The Sonoma County District Attorney's Office is seeking experienced and passionate attorneys to join their team !

Starting salary up to $111.11/hourly ($ 231,899 /annually) and a competitive total compensation package!*

The District Attorney's Office is recruiting to fill two Deputy District Attorney positions. One position is an ongoing position, and the other one is a time-limited position that is currently funded through June 30th, 2029, at either the Deputy District Attorney I, II, III, or IV level depending on qualifications. If you are interested in applying at the other levels, you must apply to the separate concurrent recruitments being conducted for those levels.

The Positions

As a Deputy District Attorney IV (DDA IV), you will be responsible for prosecuting the most complex and challenging cases in the office, including felony rape, domestic violence, sexual assault, and all homicide cases. This position requires the ability to work independently and exercise sound discretion in the prosecution and disposition of all manner of serious and violent felonies. In this role, you will demonstrate leadership skills and the ability and willingness to mentor less experienced prosecutors. The DDA IV is a senior position and operates with significant discretion to make independent decisions about most case dispositions and trials. The DDA IV prosecutor exercises this discretion within the rules of professional responsibility and office policy. Significant decisions involve filing, disposition, and trial readiness for certain serious and violent felonies. This position often handles specially assigned cases in addition to their normal duties, including homicides or other “high profile” cases.

The Ideal Candidates

Successful candidates will have extensive experience in criminal felony prosecution, including jury trial experience in homicide and/or other complex, serious or violent felonies. They will be committed to handling challenging work for the betterment of the community and dedicated to ensuring equal justice and equal access to the criminal justice system for all citizens of Sonoma County regardless of race, gender, sexual identity, ethnic origin, or nationality. The ideal candidates will also possess:

• E xperience with sensitive victims, language or cultural barriers, significant expert testimony, and multiple-defendant prosecutions
• Significant law and motion experience, including significant professional experience with research and drafting of their own pleadings in complex matters
• Significant training in the prosecution of criminal cases under California state law
• Well-versed in the California Penal and Evidence Codes and will have a solid grasp of felony sentencing
• Prior attendance at California District Attorneys Association or National District Attorneys Association seminars in Trial Practice, Felony Sentencing, and other areas relating to criminal prosecution is highly desired
• Excellent communication skills, including the ability to interact professionally and effectively with co-workers, law enforcement officers, defense attorneys, judges and court staff, and members of the public
• A strong communicator with the ability to empathetically communicate with victims of crimes and other members of the public
• A strong interest in criminal justice and a desire to assist crime victims and strive to provide the community with a safe place to live by holding the guilty accountable, protecting the innocent, and preserving dignity of victims and their families
• The ability to thrive working in a fast-paced environment with short timelines

Please note: As a part of the minimum qualifications for the position, current, active membership in the State Bar of California is required. To meet this qualification, you must be sworn in as a current, active member of the State Bar of California at the time of application submission.

The District Attorney's Office

Under the leadership of the District Attorney, Carla Rodriguez, the Sonoma County District Attorney's Office is the largest legal office in the County and has a staff of 138 employees including attorneys, investigators, paralegals, and clerical support. Each year the office is referred approximately 4,800 felony cases and over 10,800 misdemeanor cases which include the full range of offenses.

What We Offer

Working at the County of Sonoma offers expansive opportunities for growth and development, the ability to be a part of a challenging and rewarding work environment, and the satisfaction of knowing you're working to better our communities. You can also look forward to flexible work arrangements and excellent benefits* including:

• Hybrid Telework- A schedule that meets the needs of our staff, department operations, and the communities we serve may be available depending on the assignment
• Salary Advancement- A salary increase after 1,040 hours (6 months when working full-time) for good work performance; eligibility for a salary increase for good performance every year thereafter, until reaching the top of the salary range
• Paid Time Off- Competitive vacation and sick leave accruals, 12 paid holidays, and an additional 8 floating holiday hours per year
• County Paid Health Premium Contributions - 100% premium contribution for the majority of employee-only and employee + family health plan options
• Staff Development/Wellness- Annual benefit allowances of up to $1,250 and ongoing education/training opportunities
• Annual Professional Development Benefit - $452
• Post-Retirement Health Reimbursement Arrangement - County contributions to help fund post-retirement health insurance/benefits
• Retirement - A pension fully integrated with Social Security
• Paid Parental Leave- May be eligible for up to 8 weeks (320 hours) after 12 months of County employment
• Additional Benefits: Excellent dental, vision, disability, life insurance, employee assistance program, professional development, and more
• Student Loan Debt Relief- County employees may be eligible for Public Service Loan Forgiveness through the U.S. Department of Education

The District Attorney’s Office is currently recruiting to fill two Deputy District Attorney positions at either the I, II, III, or IV levels. One position is an ongoing position, and one position is time-limited and currently funded through June 30, 2029. This employment list may also be used to fill future full-time, part-time, or extra-help positions as they occur during the active status of the list. Qualified County employees who wish to be considered for future positions should consider applying to this recruitment.
*Salary is negotiable within the established range. Benefits described herein do not represent a contract and may be changed without notice. Additional information can be found in the Sonoma County Prosecutors' Association Memorandum of Understanding, (SCPA MOU) and our Employee Benefits directory.

Application submissions require the Supplemental Questionnaire be completed.

Minimum Qualifications

Experience: Legal experience subsequent to membership in the State Bar of California, which directly relates to the knowledge and abilities listed. Normally, four years of legal experience practicing criminal law as a licensed attorney, including two years of experience at a level comparable to Deputy District Attorney III in Sonoma County; or four years of legal experience as a licensed attorney with two years of related experience to specialty assignments such as Environmental and Consumer Law or Appellate practice; or equivalent experience with another prosecuting agency, would provide the opportunity to acquire the knowledge and abilities listed.

Special qualifications: Specialty training courses focusing on felony prosecutions, or environmental, consumer, or appellate practice.

Professional License: Current active membership in the State Bar of California. Possession of a valid driver's license may be required for certain assignments.

License: Possession of a valid driver’s license at the appropriate level including special endorsements, as required by the State of California, may be required depending upon assignment to perform the essential job functions of the position.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Thorough knowledge of: the duties, powers, limitations and authorities of the office of the District Attorney.

Extensive knowledge of: the principles of criminal law, principles of trial procedure, and rules of evidence; legal research methods and judicial procedures; the statutory and constitutional laws of the State of California and the United States; written and oral communications, including language mechanics, syntax and English composition.

Ability to: research, analyze and apply legal principles, facts, evidence and precedents to legal problems; consistently prepare and present statements of law, fact and argument clearly, logically and persuasively in written and oral form in all legal matters; exercise sound judgment and respond appropriately in fast-paced and constantly changing courtroom situations; establish and maintain effective working relationship with staff members, departmental representatives, county officials, the courts, law enforcement agency officials, and the general public; provide training and instruction to attorney staff, law enforcement, and other related department and county personnel, and state prosecutors or the public, if requested; understand and accept differences in human behavior, and cultural and ethnic backgrounds.

Selection Procedure & Some Helpful Tips When Applying

• Your application information and your responses to the supplemental questions are evaluated and taken into consideration throughout the entire selection process.
• You should list all employers and positions held within the last ten years in the work history section of your application. Be as thorough as possible when responding to the supplemental questions.
• You may include history beyond ten years if related to the position for which you are applying. If you held multiple positions with one employer, list out each position separately.
• Failure to follow these instructions may impact your competitiveness in this process or may result in disqualification.

Please visit Getting a Job with the County of Sonoma to review more detailed information about the hiring process, including the application process, examination steps, and department selection process.

Application submissions require the Supplemental Questionnaire be completed.

Responses to supplemental questions will be scored using position-specific criteria. Please provide specific and detailed responses of a reasonable length to allow for a thorough assessment of your qualifications. Responses that state, "See Resume" or "See Application" may be considered insufficient and therefore may not be scored.

The selection procedure will consist of the following examination:

An Application and Supplemental Questionnaire Appraisal Examination (weight 100%) will be conducted to evaluate each applicant's application and supplemental questionnaire for satisfaction of minimum qualifications (pass/not pass); and for educational coursework, training, experience, knowledge, and abilities which relate to this position. Personally identifiable information (PII) is removed from the standard application fields and applicable attachments. This PII blind screening practice redacts a candidate’s personal information that could potentially influence or bias the scoring process. Personal information includes the applicant’s name, former last name, address, phone number, email, driver's license number, school name, education start and end dates, age, date of birth, gender, and race. This PII blind screening practice helps contribute to a fair and equitable examination process.

Each applicant will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

• Relevance of work history, related experience, and achieved level of education and/or training as described in the application and responses to the supplemental questions.

Candidates demonstrating possession of the minimum qualifications will be placed on an employment list in order of most qualified to least qualified based on the achieved score received in the Application and Supplemental Questionnaire Appraisal Examination. Scores may be adjusted based on such factors as the number of candidates, anticipated vacancies, past practice, and natural breaks in the scores achieved by this group of candidates.

Additional Information

It is the policy of law enforcement and legal offices and departments, in the County of Sonoma, that candidates complete a thorough background investigation process prior to employment. This policy is imperative in order to keep the department’s employees and the public safe and to maintain high standards in the law enforcement community. Candidates referred to departments for a selection interview are typically required to sign authorization and release forms enabling such an investigation. Failure to sign prescribed forms will result in the candidate not being considered further for that vacancy. Reference information will not be made available to applicants.

The background investigation will include a thorough assessment of a candidate’s personal, employment, educational, criminal, and credit history. The investigation may include but is not necessarily limited to: use of prescription and/or other drugs, reports from former employers, friends, family members, educational institutions, law enforcement agencies, credit reports, court reports, public records search, and/or other relevant sources. Candidates must be honest and forthcoming about information that may arise during the background process. Deception during any portion of this process is grounds for disqualification, even after employment.

Depending on the assignment, candidates may be required to take a pre-employment medical examination and may be required to take a polygraph examination. All candidates for law enforcement positions are required to undergo drug testing as part of the selection process. Additionally, candidates may be required to take a pre-employment psychological and physical abilities examination. The results of these examinations and the background investigation shall be confidential and shall not be available to the candidate for review. Failure to pass the background investigation will eliminate a candidate from the employment process. You may also review the Job Classification Screening Schedule to determine the requirements for this position.

Issues that arise during the investigation process will be assessed and judgment and discretion will be used to determine the employability of the candidate. Where there is evidence of a candidate’s past use of controlled substances, many factors shall be used to determine the employability of the individual such as a pattern of use, kind of drug used, circumstances of the start of the drug use, treatment, behavior and attitude since discontinuance, etc. Please note that a history of using controlled substances does not result in automatic disqualification from the selection process. Prior to disqualifying any candidate whose profile falls within the provisions of the policy, the candidate shall be given the opportunity to present any and all evidence of mitigating facts that the candidate feels should be considered by the hiring authority. If you receive a conditional job offer for the position, the requirements upon which the offer is contingent will be outlined in the conditional job letter.

How to Apply

Applications are accepted online at www.yourpath2sonomacounty.org . Paper applications may be submitted by person, fax (707-565-3770), email, or through the mail. All applications and appropriate supplemental information as outlined in the job bulletin must be received by the time and date specified on the first page of this job announcement. Applications received after the recruitment closes will not be accepted.

The County of Sonoma values diversity and is dedicated to creating a workplace environment that provides individuals with a sense of belonging. We are committed to having a diverse workforce that is representative of the communities we serve. The County is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer where all aspects of employment are based on merit, competence, performance, and business need.

HR Analyst: CA

HR Technician: PB

Important Note: Benefits described herein do not apply to Extra Help positions.

County of Sonoma Benefits:*

These are some of the excellent benefits the County offers:

Paid Time Off: Competitive vacation accrual and sick leave accruals; additional management leave annually; 12 paid holidays, and an additional 8 floating holiday hours per year; and may be eligible for up to 8 weeks (320 hours) of Paid Parental Leave after 12 months of County employment.

Health Plan: Choose from nine health plans (three HMOs, three deductible HMOs, and three HSA-qualifying plans) with a generous County contribution to the premium (the contribution amount varies by bargaining unit). For more information, please see the appropriate MOU.

Retirement: Fully integrated with Social Security. For more information regarding eligibility, retirement contributions, and reciprocity with prior public service, please visit https://scretire.org/active-/-deferred/when-you-are-hired .

IRS 457 Plan: Pre-tax employee contribution up to the IRS annual maximum.

Retiree Medical: County contribution to a Health Reimbursement Arrangement to help fund post-retirement employee health insurance/benefits.

Student Loan Debt Relief: County employees may be eligible for Public Service Loan Forgiveness through the U.S. Department of Education.

Plus, excellent dental, vision, disability, life insurance, professional development, and more.

For answers to specific questions regarding the employment process and more details about benefits or retirement, please contact Human Resources at (707) 565-2331. Additional details about benefit and compensation packages can be found in the MOUs located at Labor Agreements & Salary Resolution . For specific information about health and welfare benefits, including plan options, coverage, and premium amounts, go to Human Resources or contact the Human Resources' Risk Management-Benefits Office at benefits@sonomacounty.gov or (707) 565-2900.

*Important Notes: Benefits described herein do not represent a contract and may be changed without notice.

Closing Date/Time: 12/1/2025 11:59 PM Pacific

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• County of Sonoma

• 707-565-8059

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