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Senior Deputy Public Defender

Shasta County
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THE CURRENT VACANCY IS WITHIN THE SHASTA COUNTY

PUBLIC DEFENDER’S OFFICE

 

ORAL EXAM IS TENTATIVELY SCHEDULED FOR DECEMBER 2024

 

SEE “SPECIAL REQUIREMENT” SECTION REGARDING 

POSSESSION OF A VALID DRIVER’S LICENSE 

 

RESPONSES TO SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONS REQUIRED

 

FINAL FILING DATE: DECEMBER 02, 2024, AT 5:00 PM

 

 

SALARY INFORMATION

 

$10,883 – $13,891 APPROXIMATE MONTHLY* / $62.79 - $80.14 APPROXIMATE HOURLY*

 

*Please refer to the appropriate Bargaining Unit Memorandum of Understanding for potential future salary increases* Please visit https://www.shastacounty.gov/personnel/page/labor-agreements-mous.

 

ABOUT SHASTA COUNTY

 

Shasta County offers all the amenities of the big city while retaining a comfortable small-town atmosphere.  With its natural beauty, affordable housing, excellent educational system, abundance of recreational opportunities, and excellent quality of life, Shasta County is a great place to live, work, and raise a family.

 

ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT

 

The Shasta County Public Defender provides efficient and effective legal defense services to indigent individuals charged with crimes in felony, misdemeanor, and juvenile matters.  In addition, the Office of the Shasta County Public Defender provides legal representation to indigent individuals facing conservatorship, guardianship, parental terminations, probate, and Welfare & Institutions Code Section 5150 proceedings. 

 

ABOUT THE POSITION

 

Under direction, to assist the Public Defender in the defense of criminal cases; to provide assistance and lead direction to other attorneys; and to perform related work as required.

 

DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS

 

Incumbents at this level perform specialized legal work in criminal matters which is the most complex and sensitive in nature. This class differs from the Deputy Public Defender III in that incumbents provide lead direction and training to the less experienced deputies, defend homicide cases, or oversee other assigned activities. This position is an unclassified, at will position.

 

IDEAL CANDIDATE

 

The ideal candidate for the Senior Deputy Public Defender position will be a highly skilled, knowledgeable attorney with significant experience handling serious, complex felony cases, including violent/serious felony trials, sex cases, and/or homicides.  In addition to exceptional litigation skills, the ideal candidate will be a strong team player with a collaborative mindset, capable of providing leadership and mentorship to less experienced attorneys. They will have the ability to support, train, and encourage their team while holding staff accountable, ensuring a high standard of performance. With a balance of legal acumen, empathy, and leadership, this candidate will thrive in a fast-paced, challenging environment, driving both the success of the office and the professional development of its attorneys.

 

 

EXAMPLES OF ESSENTIAL DUTIES

 

Defends the most serious and sensitive cases, including death penalty cases; conducts defense in both court and jury trials in all courts, including juvenile court; prepares briefs and legal opinions; conducts legal research; prepares correspondence and reports; provides administrative supervision over a major functional unit such as Superior Court trials, preliminary hearings, misdemeanor trials; acts at the lead attorney in serious cases that require two attorneys; provides training and direction to other attorneys; oversees specialized projects as assigned.

 

TYPICAL QUALIFICATIONS

 

Any combination of education and experience sufficient to directly demonstrate possession and application of the following:

 

Knowledge of: Legal principles and practices; principles of criminal or family law and its application; trial and hearing procedures; rules of evidence; legal research methods; principles of supervision and training.

 

Ability to: Successfully defend serious criminal cases; perform legal research; analyze and apply legal principles, facts, evidence and precedents to complex legal problems; present law, facts, evidence and arguments clearly and logically in written and oral form; effectively represent the Public Defender's Office in legal proceedings and hearings; establish and maintain cooperative working relationships with those contacted in the course of work; supervise or provide lead direction to staff; successfully complete specialized projects as assigned.

 

These employment standards are typically attained with:

 

  • One (1) year of experience comparable to a Deputy Public Defender III with Shasta County.

OR

  • Four (4) years of experience in the practice of criminal law within the State of California, including at least one year of which must have been in a district attorney's or public defender's office.

 

 

SPECIAL REQUIREMENT

 

  • Possession of a valid California driver license.
  • Active membership in the California State Bar. 

 

SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONS

 

Responses to the following must be submitted with a completed application.

 

  1. Do you have and Active membership in the California State Bar? Yes/ No
  2. If yes to supplemental question # 1, list your California State Bar Number. If none, type “N/A”.
  3. Do you have one year of experience comparable to a Deputy Public Defender III with Shasta County or four years of experience in the practice of criminal law within the State of California with at least one year in a district attorney's or public defender's office? Yes/ No
  4. If yes to question #3, please provide details including, but not limited to, employers, dates of employment, job titles, and job duties. If none, please type “N/A”.
  5. Please state the number of felony trials you have conducted, and types of charges involved. If none, type “N/A”.
  6. I acknowledge this position requires an appropriate California driver's license. Yes/ No

 

PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORK ENVIRONMENT

 

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

 

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; and talk or hear. The employee is occasionally required to stand, walk, reach with hands and arms, and stoop, kneel, or crouch.

 

The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 10 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, and the ability to adjust focus.

 

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those and employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

 

The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

 

OTHER CONSIDERATIONS

 

  • All new employees are required to have their paycheck directly deposited to a bank account.
  • Some positions may require a valid California driver's license and acceptable driving record according to County policy.
  • Reasonable accommodations may be made for those persons who are disabled under the Americans with Disabilities Act to perform the essential functions of the position.
  • As part of the selection process, all individuals provided with a preliminary offer of employment with Shasta County will be subject to a background investigation, including a criminal history check (primarily completed through the taking of fingerprints). An image of your fingerprints will be captured and sent to the California Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The resulting report of your conviction history, (if any), will be evaluated along with the other information received in connection with your application. Except as otherwise required by law, a criminal conviction will not necessarily disqualify you from the position. The nature of the offense, the date of the offense, the surrounding circumstances, and the relevance of the offense to the position applied for may, however, be considered.
  • Based on the results of the background investigation and criminal history check, applicants may then be provided with an offer of employment conditioned on the results of a medical examination, which includes drug/alcohol testing.
  • Shasta County participates in E-Verify. For more information visit https://www.e-verify.gov/sites/default/files/everify/posters/IER_RighttoWorkPoster.pdf (Download PDF reader). If you do not have internet access, contact Personnel at (530) 225-5515 to request a flyer.
  • In accordance with Government Code Section 3100, County employees, in the event of a disaster are considered disaster workers and may be asked to respond accordingly.
  • Positions in this classification are covered by a collective bargaining agreement between the County and the Mid Management Bargaining Unit (MMBU).
  • Employees in this classification are covered under the CalPERS retirement program. Depending on the provisions of the California Public Employees’ Pension Reform Act (PEPRA) and other applicable laws, an employee in this classification will be covered under one of the following CalPERS retirement formulas: (1) 2% at 55, (2) 2% at 60, or (3) 2% at 62. An employee in this classification will also contribute up to 9.5%  his/her pay to this plan or will contribute such other amount to the plan as authorized by PEPRA and other applicable laws. Please visit our employees benefit page at https://www.shastacounty.gov/personnel/page/employee-benefits for additional information regarding benefits and CalPERS coverage information. The provisions in this flyer and on the County website are for information purposes only. To the extent the provisions of the flyer or the County website are inconsistent with PEPRA and other applicable laws, PEPRA and other applicable laws shall govern.

 

APPLICATION AND SELECTION PROCEDURES

 

Shasta County Personnel will accept applications and responses to the supplemental questions until 5:00 p.m., on December 02, 2024. A Resume and/or Cover Letter will be accepted in addition to the application form but will not serve as a substitute for a completed application. It is not acceptable to complete the application with statements such as, “Refer to Resume and/or Cover Letter,” or “See Attached Resume and/or Cover Letter” the employment application must be completed in its entirety prior to submission. Incomplete applications will not be processed. Closing date postmarks or faxes will NOT be accepted. This recruitment will establish a list that may or may not be used by other departments. Prior applicants must reapply to be considered. 

 

Applicants will be screened and those considered best qualified will be invited to appear for an oral and/or written examination. Meeting the announced requirements does not guarantee inclusion into the selection process. Depending upon the number of applications received, the selection process may consist of additional application screening, written and/or practical exam(s), oral interview, or any combination thereof. 

 

Veterans' Credit: Veterans (as defined by California Government Code section 18973) who have been discharged from military service under conditions other than dishonorable and who receive a passing score on all components of the employment examinations (up to and including oral examinations) shall receive credit for an additional five points to be added to their final examination score. To be considered for this credit, a veteran MUST provide a copy of his or her discharge document (DD-214 or equivalent) and information as to the type of discharge (honorable, dishonorable, etc.) WITH THE EMPLOYMENT APPLICATION ON OR BEFORE THE FINAL FILING DATE. 

 

Applicants are encouraged to apply on-line at www.ShastaCountyCareers.com or submit an application to the Shasta County Personnel Office.

 

Arrangements may be made to accommodate applicants with disabilities. Requests for accommodations may be made to the Shasta County Personnel Office by the filing deadline posted on this bulletin. Shasta County does not discriminate on the basis of disability. If you feel you are being denied service based on a disability, our ADA Coordinator may be reached at (530) 225-5515; relay service (800) 735-2922; fax (530) 225-5345.

 

Shasta County will consider qualified applicants with a criminal history pursuant to the California Fair Chance Act. You do not need to disclose your criminal history or participate in a background check until a conditional job offer is made to you. After making a conditional offer and running a background check, if Shasta County is concerned about a conviction that is directly related to the job, you will be given the chance to explain the circumstances surrounding the conviction, provide mitigating evidence, or challenge the accuracy of the background report. Find out more about the Fair Chance Act by visiting calcivilrights.ca.gov/fair-chance-act.

 

SHASTA COUNTY IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

Shasta County Personnel

1450 Court Street, Suite 348; Redding, CA 96001; (530) 225-5515