ABOUT US
At the County of Marin, our employees overwhelmingly report feeling their work is meaningful, they like the work they do, and they are proud to tell people “I work for the County of Marin.” Discover more about us, our values and our organizational culture here . Read on to find out more about this opportunity.
ABOUT THE POSITION
Incumbents receive on-the-job training in various technical and analytical duties in support of investigative activities and functions. Work is closely supervised during the initial training period, but it is expected that repeat assignments will be completed without constant supervision as experience and proficiency is gained.
Under specified levels of direction, the Public Defender Investigator I:
- Plans and conducts investigations to support the legal defense of a wide variety of criminal and juvenile cases including homicide, assaults, drug possession and sales, and other felony and misdemeanor charges
- Confers with Deputy Public Defenders on the reliability and credibility of witnesses, and on points of law and procedure
- Identifies, locates, and interviews clients, witnesses, complainants, law enforcement officials, and representatives of other agencies to gather information on events surrounding cases
- Locates, obtains, evaluates, and preserves documentary evidence from a variety of sources
- Writes reports of contacts and findings including statements, scene descriptions, and analysis of physical evidence
- Serves subpoenas on those required to testify or submit evidence before the court
- Searches various online resources and databases to locate witnesses, experts, professionals and obtain relevant case information
- Makes arrangements for and transports witnesses to and from court or to court-ordered programs
- Arranges travel and lodging needs for out-of-county witnesses
- May be required to appear in court to testify as a witness
- Contacts and maintains relationships with and records of, outside agencies, expert witnesses, and forensic experts as reference resources for potential testimony in highly specialized fields
- Conducts surveillance stakeouts as necessary
- Establishes and maintains informant contacts to develop information relevant to cases
- May train, advise and review the work of Investigators, interns or volunteers
There is one (1) Full-time, Fixed-term position that is funded for one year. Please note, this position may end prior to the term if funding ceases or the work is complete. In addition, this position may continue after one year if funding is renewed or extended.
Bilingual Testing/Certification: The successful candidate must possess bilingual skills and must demonstrate proficiency in both Spanish and English prior to appointment. A bilingual proficiency exam will be administered to ensure the candidates possess the appropriate skill level to meet the requirements.
ABOUT YOU
Our highly qualified candidate has an interest in the criminal justice system and agencies as well as a desire for assisting clients of the Public Defender’s Office. The successful candidate must have a professional demeanor, work well independently and in group settings as well as be able to establish effective collaborative relationships with colleagues and people from varying socio-economic levels. The candidate possesses the ability to maintain confidentiality and compassion for individuals they come into contact with while maintaining sensitivity to the competing needs of a wide variety of internal and external stakeholders.
QUALIFICATIONS:Knowledge of:- Techniques, principles, and methods used in criminal investigations.
- Methods and techniques of screening, evaluating, and preparing evidence and exhibits for trials (i.e. laboratory procedures incident to the investigation of a crime including ballistics, toxicology, fingerprint comparison, chemical substance identification, and homicide pathology).
- California Penal Code and the Constitution, i.e., laws of arrest, rights of citizens, rules of evidence and court procedures.
- Laws relating to the service of subpoenas.
- Various resources available for locating individuals.
- Mental defenses to a crime such as diminished capacity and legal insanity, including general knowledge of the subject of psychology and psychological testing.
- The criminal justice system, California Department of Corrections, and related agencies.
- Identification of various firearms, firepower, and ballistic patterns for the purpose of investigating cases involving the discharge of firearms.
- Techniques employed in diagramming and making demonstrative evidence to be presented in court.
- Modern office practices, Windows-based computers, including word processing and typing software.
Ability to:- Read and understand legal codes and cases and technical material in such disciplines as medicine and the physical and social sciences.
- Obtain information through interview.
- Assess the credibility of witnesses and evidence.
- Gather and analyze facts and evidence and draw valid conclusions.
- Organize and prioritize workload to manage cases efficiently; adjust to workload changes; and work under stress to meet deadlines.
- Testify in court in a direct, clear, and concise manner.
- Prepare, present and maintain clear and accurate notes, reports and records.
- Establish and maintain effective working relationships with attorneys, representatives of other agencies, clients, the public, and colleagues.
- Diagram and draft charts or other diagrams required for forensic use.Operate and maintain a variety of photographic, recording, and graphic equipment.
- Maintain a congenial attitude under stressful condition with uncooperative individuals.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:Typically, equivalent to an Associate’s degree with a major in Criminal Justice, Criminology, Administration of Justice, Forensics, Journalism, Law or a closely related field
or possession of a Defense Investigator certificate issued by CDITC, NALI or similar, with the equivalent to an Associate's degree in an unrelated field. Experience in law enforcement, investigations, obtaining personal information through interviewing and investigations, or a closely related field may be substituted for the required education on a year for year basis.
Licenses: This job class requires travel between various County and business-related locations. Employees who drive on County business to carry out job-related duties must possess a valid California driver’s license for the class of vehicle driven and meet automobile insurability requirements of the County. Possession of a valid Class C California driver’s license and a satisfactory driving history record as obtained from the Department of Motor Vehicles is required at the time of the selection interview.
HIghly Desired License: Possession of a California Private Investigator license is desirable.
SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:Must not have been convicted of any crime for which the punishment could have been imprisonment in a federal penitentiary or state prison or any crimes which would prohibit employment in this position under state law. May be subject to a thorough background investigation.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
IMPORTANT INFORMATION: All applicants will receive email notifications regarding their status in the recruitment process. Please be sure to check your spam settings to allow our emails to reach you. You may also log into your governmentjobs.com account to view these emails.
Hybrid Work Schedule: The Public Defender Department has embraced a hybrid work schedule that considers that some duties of this position may be performed remotely and telework options are available; however, the successful candidate must be able to report to County facilities for various meetings and work assignments upon short notice, as needed and deemed appropriate. Some work duties for this position can be performed remotely, and hybrid in-office / telework options may be discussed at time of hire. However, please note that this position requires that staff be able to report to County facilities as needed.
Testing and Eligible List: Depending on the number of qualified applications received, the examination may consist of a highly qualified review, application screening, online assessment, written examination, oral examination, performance examination, or any combination to determine which candidates' names will be placed on the eligible list.
First round selection interviews will be held in-person the week of May 27, 2024 or the week of June 3, 2024 The eligible list established from this recruitment will be used to fill the current vacancy and any future vacancies for open, fixed-term, full-time or part-time positions which may occur while the list remains active.
Disaster Service Workers: All County of Marin employees are designated Disaster Service Workers through state and local law (California Government Code Section 3100-3109). Employment with the County requires the affirmation of a loyalty oath to this effect. Employees are required to complete all Disaster Service Worker-related training as assigned, and to return to work as ordered in the event of an emergency.
PLEASE NOTE: The benefits described herein do not apply to temporary (contingent) or to part-time employees that work less than 50%.
COUNTY OF MARIN BENEFITS: GENERALBelow are some of the excellent benefits the County offers. More information about our benefits can be found on the Marin County's Benefits Homepage .
Paid Time Off : Competitive vacation accrual; 12 holidays per year; and generous sick leave accruals. Additional types of paid leaves are available for some bargaining units.
Health Plan : Choice of four health plans (two Kaiser HMOs, Western Health Advantage HMO,and an Anthem Blue Cross PPO) along with dental through Delta Dental PPO, and vision through Vision Service Plan (VSP). There is a County contribution toward the premiums (the contribution amount varies depending on coverage tier elected such as employee only, employee + 1, employee + family). Plus, the County offers excellent Life Insurance, Disability, Flexible Spending Plans, a Dependent Care Assistance Program, professional development and more.
Retirement : Defined benefit plan under the County Employees Retirement Act of 1937. More information can be found online at www.mcera.org.
IRS 457 Plan : Choice of pre-tax or post-tax (Roth) employee contribution up to the IRS annual maximum.
Retiree Medical : The County provides access to group health plan coverage to eligible retirees.
For specific questions regarding the employment process, please contact Human Resources at (415) 473-6104. For additional details about the benefits or retirement, please contact the Benefits Division at (415) 473-2197.
*IMPORTANT NOTE: Benefits described herein do not represent a contract and may be changed without notice.
Closing Date/Time: 5/15/2024 11:59 PM Pacific
