Public Defender Investigator I

THIS IS A NEW ASSEMBLED EXAMINATION. The eligible list resulting from this examination will cancel any existing list and may last approximately one year, but can be extended.

Supplemental Questionnaire: A properly completed Supplemental Questionnaire must be submitted with each application. Applications and Supplemental Questionnaires must be in the possession of the Human Resource Services Department by 5:00:00 p.m. on the Last Day for Filing. Failure to submit the Supplemental Questionnaire will result in disqualification.

Applications and Supplemental Questionnaires will only be accepted on-line.

THE DEPARTMENT

The Alameda County Public Defender's Office provides the highest quality of indigent criminal defense by vigorously advocating for the rights of individuals facing criminal charges in adult and juvenile court. Our mission is to zealously protect and defend the rights of clients through compassionate and inspired legal representation of the highest quality, in pursuit of a fair and unbiased system of justice for all. The Alameda County Office is one of the oldest Public Defender offices in the nation, chartered in 1927 by Earl Warren who later became Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court. Today, our team of more than 120 attorneys, 19 investigators, 12 social workers, 8 client advocates, and 50 support staff handle approximately 30,000 cases per year providing innovative, holistic defense services for Alameda County residents. In 2012, the office was named the "Best Law Firm" in the East Bay by the Alameda County Bar Association.

The Alameda County Public Defender’s Office (ACPDO) strives to provide its clients with comprehensive holistic defense services. ACPDO provides zealous, client-centered legal representation and rehabilitative wrap-around services in lieu of incarceration. Holistic criminal defense is a client-centered, interdisciplinary approach to legal representation that addresses the underlying social and environmental factors contributing to a person's involvement in the criminal legal system. It moves beyond traditional legal representation to offer a broader range of support, aiming to improve overall outcomes for individuals and communities.

For additional info, please visit: http://www.acgov.org/defender/.

THE POSITION

Under close supervision, assists attorneys in the Public Defender's Office by conducting fact-finding, pre-trial and pre-sentence investigations of criminal cases, and performs related work as required.  

For additional information on the position, please visit: Public Defender Investigator I (#8576).

Education:

Successful completion of 60 semester, or 90 quarter, units from an accredited college or university, which included the equivalent of at least 24 semester, or 36 quarter, units in Criminal Justice, Criminology, Forensics, or a closely related field such as Political Science, Sociology, Psychology, or Journalism.  

AND

Experience:

The equivalent of one year of full-time experience working in the criminal justice field in an investigative or enforcement capacity, such as a peace officer, probation officer, investigator, or investigative assistant.

Substitution:

Possession of a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice, Criminology, Forensics, or a closely related field such as Political Science, Sociology, Psychology or Journalism from an accredited college or university may be substituted for the year of required experience.  

License:

Possession of a valid California Motor Vehicle Operator's License is required.  

Special Requirements:

Ability and willingness to work irregular hours as individual investigations demand.  Must be at least 21 years of age.  Ability and willingness to travel out of town, state, or country, and stay overnight to complete job assignments.

Must provide fingerprints for purposes of search of local, state, and national fingerprint files to disclose any criminal record.

Depending on the nature of the conviction, a criminal record may result in disqualification.  

NOTE: The Civil Service Commission may modify the above Minimum Qualifications in the announcement of an examination.  

The most suitably qualified candidates will possess the following competencies:

Knowledge of:

• Interviewing techniques and procedures, skip tracing techniques, and California State laws as they relate to the service of subpoenas and the treatment of witnesses.
• California criminal court structure and procedures.
• The purpose and organization of the Public Defender's Office.
• Techniques employed in diagramming and making demonstrative evidence to be presented in court. 

Ability to:

• Establish rapport with a great variety of people, judge the credibility of witnesses, and be objective in fact-finding.
• Diagram crime scenes.
• Operate a camera (digital or otherwise).
• Maintain composure and professionalism under stressful conditions.
• Keep accurate records and write clear, concise and grammatically correct reports.
• Organize and manage a full misdemeanor caseload.
• Communicate effectively with the public, and coworkers, including attorneys and other staff members.
• Locate and record police radio dispatch calls, video, and other electronic evidence.
• Interview effectively and analytically.

THE EXAMINATION WILL CONSIST OF THE FOLLOWING STEPS:

1. A review of candidates' application to verify possession of minimum requirements.  Those candidates who possess the minimum requirements for the class will move on to the next step in the examination process.
2. A review of candidates’ Supplemental Questionnaires to determine the best qualified. Those candidates considered the best qualified will move on to the final step in the examination process.
3. An oral interview which will be weighted as 100% of the candidates' final examination score.  The oral interview may contain situational exercises.

Candidates must attain a qualifying rating on each portion of this recruitment. 

WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO MAKE CHANGES TO THE ANNOUNCED EXAMINATION STEPS.

Alameda County utilizes a Civil Service Selection System founded on merit. Such a system is competitive and based on broad recruitment efforts and equal opportunity for qualified applicants to test in an examination process designed to determine the qualifications, fitness, and ability of competitors to perform duties of the vacant position. Many of our recruitments are targeted and specific to the needs of a current vacant position, in which case, the eligible list may be exclusively used for that current vacant position. Other recruitments may be more broadly used for both current and future vacancies, or for other alternate jobs with comparable scopes of work.

To learn more about our recruitment and selection process, please visit the “What You Need to Know” section of our website, hrs.alamedacountyca.gov.

Applicants will be informed via email with reasonable notice in advance of any examination process which will require their attendance. 

The following dates are tentative and subject to change based on the needs of the Agency.

The County offers a comprehensive and competitive benefits package that affords wide-ranging health care options to meet the different needs of a diverse workforce and their families. We also sponsor many employee discount, fitness and health screening programs focused on overall wellbeing.  These benefits include but are not limited to*:

For your Health & Well-Being

• Medical – HMO & PPO Plans
• Dental – HMO & PPO Plans
• Vision or Vision Reimbursement
• Share the Savings
• Basic Life Insurance
• Supplemental Life Insurance (with optional dependent coverage for eligible employees)
• Accidental Death and Dismemberment Insurance
• County Allowance Credit
• Flexible Spending Accounts - Health FSA, Dependent Care and Adoption Assistance
• Short-Term Disability Insurance
• Long-Term Disability Insurance
• Voluntary Benefits - Accident Insurance, Critical Illness, Long-Term Care, Hospital Indemnity and Legal Services
• Employee Assistance Program

For your Financial Future

• Retirement Plan - (Defined Benefit Pension Plan)
• Deferred Compensation Plan (457 Plan or Roth Plan)

For your Work/Life Balance

• 12 paid holidays
• Floating Holidays
• Vacation and sick leave accrual
• Vacation purchase program
• Management Paid Leave**
• Catastrophic Sick Leave
• Pet Insurance
• Commuter Benefits Program
• Guaranteed Ride Home
• Employee Wellness Program (e.g. At Work Fitness, Incentive Based Programs, Gym Membership Discounts)
• Employee Discount Program (e.g. theme parks, cell phone, etc.)
• Child Care Resources
• 1st United Services Credit Union

*Eligibility is determined by Alameda County and offerings may vary by collective bargaining agreement.  This provides a summary of the benefits offered and can be subject to change.

** Non-exempt management employees are entitled to up to three (3) days of management paid leave. Exempt management employees are entitled to up to eight (8) days of management paid leave.

All notices related to County recruitments for which you have applied will be sent/delivered via email. Please add @jobaps.com, @acgov.org, Noreplyalamedacountyhr@acgov.org and Noreply@jobaps.com as accepted addresses to any email blocking or spam filtering program you may use. If you do not do this, your email blocking or spam filtering program may block receipt of the notices regarding your application for recruitments. You are also strongly advised to regularly log into your County of Alameda online application account to check for notices that may have been sent to you. All email notices that will be sent to you will also be kept in your personal online application account. You will be able to view all of your notices in your online application account by clicking on the 'My applications' button on the Current Job Openings page.

Disaster Service Worker

All Alameda County employees are designated Disaster Service Workers through state and local law.  Employment with the County requires the affirmation of a loyalty oath to this effect.  Employees are required to report to work as ordered in the event of an emergency.

Equal Employment Opportunity 

Alameda County has a diverse workforce, that is representative of the communities we serve, and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All aspects of employment are based on merit, competence, performance and business need. Alameda County does not discriminate in employment on the basis of, race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service, or other non-merit factors protected under federal, state and local law. Alameda County celebrates diversity and is committed to creating an inclusive, and welcoming workplace environment.