Deputy County Attorney - Criminal Division

WAGE: DOE

DEPARTMENT: Attorney - Criminal Division

BENEFITS:  Health, Dental, Vision, Retirement, 401k match, Sick/Vacation, Life Insurance, Short-term Disability, Accident, Critical Illness, Parental Leave, Maternity Leave

PERSONNEL STATUS: Full Time FLSA Exempt

Applicants should upload a copy of their resume and a writing sample.

Deputy County Attorney I - Criminal Division

JOB OVERVIEW:

Under the general guidance and direction of supervising attorneys, performs legal work related to the prosecution of criminal cases.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

Advises police and other governmental agencies on matters of law and procedure, including sufficiency of evidence to issue criminal complaints, search warrants, and arrest warrants, and supervises preparation thereof.  Provides education and training to law enforcement as needed.

Reviews cases for sufficiency of evidence and compliance with law.  Conducts legal research.  Makes screening decisions on cases.  Prepare and file information, gather evidence, interview witnesses, and present evidence in all matters relating to criminal conduct by individuals. Responsible for representing the State in criminal matters and making oral statements, preparing and filing written pleadings.

Handles criminal court calendars; arraignments, sentencings, motions, hearings, and trials in District Court; prosecutes felony and misdemeanor cases for the State of Utah; prosecutes cases in juvenile court and justice court.

Must be willing to take instruction from more senior attorneys and meet obligations and deadlines. Must demonstrate increasing responsibility and capabilities in handling more serious and complex legal matters. Must demonstrate capabilities in successfully prosecuting cases through jury trials.

Must demonstrate increasing ability to operate independently and with initiative. Must demonstrate increasing ability to build good working relationships with law enforcement personnel and coworkers, court personnel, and the general public.

The nature of the work duties for this position may require working nights, weekends, or holidays at times. 

Other duties as assigned.

Any one position may not include all of the duties listed, nor do the listed examples include all duties which may be found in positions of this class. Applicants must be prepared to demonstrate the ability to perform the essential functions of the job with or without reasonable accommodation.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES:

None

EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE:

Education: Graduation from an ABA-accredited law school with a Juris Doctor Degree. Must be a member of the Utah State Bar in good standing.

Experience: Experience preferred but not required. This position is part of a career ladder series with advancement to County Attorney II. Advancement is determined if the minimum requirements for the position of Attorney II, by demonstrating history of good performance reviews, and if recommended by his or her supervisor and approved by the County Attorney.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES (KSA):

Knowledge of: Working knowledge of constitutional law. Municipal codes and ordinances. Criminal and civil law, rules of procedure, rules of evidence, and state statutes; and the principles, practices, and methods used in research and prosecution.

Skills and Abilities to: Ability to draft legal documents. Ability to apply legal principles and knowledge to individual cases and problems. Ability to analyze and evaluate facts and evidence rapidly and to apply them to individual cases and problems. Ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing in stressful and confrontational circumstances. Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with employees, administrative and court officials, and the general public. This includes the ability, both orally and in writing, to articulate a legal argument or factual statement confidently, concisely, and convincingly.

Ability to interact with difficult, displeased, angry, or distressed individuals and must be able to remain calm and confident.  Must have or be able to develop crisis intervention techniques. Effectively interacts with individuals from various socio-economic backgrounds.

Ability to use personal computer, including word processing and case management software. Ability to accurately input data into a computer for case record management. Ability to use other communications and office equipment.

Must be able to review difficult and sometimes appalling evidence and material and maintain objectivity in the evaluation of thi