Position Information

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  A hybrid telework schedule that meets the needs of our staff, department operations, and the communities we serve may be available depending on the assignment
• Eligibility for 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
• WIth time and good performance, the opportunity for advancement to Deputy Public Defender II, upon meeting additional requirements (salary up to $159,539/year)
• County paid 100% premium contribution for the majority of employee-only and employee + family health plan options
• An annual Staff Development/Wellness Benefit allowance up to $3,002 and ongoing education/training opportunities
• Premium pay of $1.15/hour, in addition to the hourly pay rate, for bilingual assignments**
• Competitive vacation and sick leave accruals, 12 paid holidays, and an additional 8 floating holiday hours per year
• County contribution to a Health Reimbursement Arrangement to help fund post-retirement employee health insurance/benefits
• Retirement fully integrated with Social Security
• May be eligible for up to 8 weeks (320 hours) of Paid Parental Leave after 12 months of County employment

The Public Defender's Office

The Public Defender and his Office have the mandated responsibility of defending any person who is not financially able to employ counsel and who is charged with the commission of any contempt or offense triable in the superior or municipal courts. Additionally, the Public Defender represents qualified individuals in probate and welfare proceedings, and may represent any person who is not financially able to employ counsel in proceedings relating to the nature or conditions of detention prior to adjudication.

When you join the Office as a Deputy Public Defender I, you will perform legal work involving the investigation, preparation, and presentation of criminal and civil cases before the courts. Using your independent judgment and initiative, you will work directly with English and non-English-speaking clients to:

• Investigate, research, prepare, and defend criminal and/or civil cases
• Interpret and apply laws, court decisions, and other legal authorities for use in the preparation of cases, opinions, and briefs
• Prepare pleadings and other legal documents in connection with trials, hearings, and other legal proceedings
• Conduct general legal research
• Interview and advise witnesses regarding criminal complaints

The ideal candidate will have a substantial interest in criminal defense work and possess:

• Experience working as a law clerk or other professional legal position
• Impeccable research and writing abilities
• Knowledge of post-conviction relief
• Demonstrable excellence in public speaking
• Experience in and/or with a Public Defender's office
• The highly desirable ability to speak, read, and write in Spanish and English

The County of Sonoma
Sonoma County offers a rare and compelling array of scenic, recreational, and geographic characteristics – including over 200 award-winning wineries, inspiring coastline and beaches, the Russian River, and majestic redwoods. The County encompasses over one million acres of land and water; rich with agriculture, parks, campsites, lakes, and open space. Sonoma County is also home to a wide variety of restaurants, art and music festivals, farmers' markets, and concert venues. Local schools continually rank high on California's Academic Performance Index, and the Santa Rosa Junior College and Sonoma State University offer higher education opportunities. Sonoma County is an increasingly diverse region and is home to approximately 500,000 residents. The Latino population has grown by almost 230% within the last 25 years and is approximately 27% of the population. In 2016, slightly over half of Sonoma County’s population was between 25 and 64 years old; however, between 2007 and 2016, the fastest-growing age range in the county were those aged 65 to 74.
Please visit www.sonomacounty.ca.gov and sonomacountyconnections.org for additional information about Sonoma County - the place to live, work, and build your career legacy.

This recruitment is being conducted to fill a Deputy Public Defender position in the Public Defender's Office at either the I, II, III, or IV level. The employment list established from this recruitment may also be used to fill future full-time, part-time, or extra-help positions as they occur during the active status of this list. Qualified County employees who wish to be considered for future vacancies 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. Bilingual positions require English and Spanish skills at either the basic (conversational) or fluent (reading, writing, and conversational) level. Applicants for bilingual positions must indicate their proficiency level in the required supplemental questionnaire. An examination will be conducted prior to employment to a bilingual designated position to confirm level of skill in this area. Bilingual premium pay of $1.15 per hour will be applied upon the assignment of bilingual work. Additional information can be found in the Memorandum of Understanding between The County of Sonoma and SCDPDAA and our Employee Benefits directory.

Minimum Qualifications

Experience: None required.

Professional License: Current active membership in the State Bar of California.

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

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Knowledge of: duties, powers, limitations, and authorities of the Office of the Public Defender; principles of criminal law, principles of trial procedure and rules of evidence; legal research methods and judicial procedures; statutory and constitutional laws of the State of California; 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; prepare and present statements of law, fact and argument clearly, logically and persuasively in written and oral form; establish and maintain effective working relationships with other staff members, departmental representatives, county officials, the courts, law enforcement agency officials, and the general public; 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 and should 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.

The selection procedure will consist of the following examination:

An Application & 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. 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 & Supplemental Questionnaire Appraisal Examination which evaluates the education, training, experience, skills, knowledge, abilities, and other qualifications that you demonstrate in your application and/or response to the supplemental questionnaire. Please be aware that resumes and cover letters are not typically evaluated in the Application & 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

A background investigation is required prior to employment. 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.

Additional requirements, such as successful completion of a physical exam, drug screen, etc., may apply, depending on the duties and responsibilities of the position. 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. You may also review the Job Classification Screening Schedule to determine the requirements for this position.

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: JT
HR Technician: RR