Assistant Public Defender

San Joaquin County is recruiting for the Assistant Public Defender.  This single-position classification is exempt from San Joaquin County Civil Service.  The incumbent will assist the Public Defender in the administration of the department by planning and supervising assigned functions and participating in the preparation and defense of a variety of criminal and some civil matters.

For more information about this opportunity, please click on the link to the brochure: 

ASSISTANT PUBLIC DEFENDER 

• Assists in the management of the Public Defender's Office; assists in establishing and implanting policies and procedures; recommends organization and procedural changes as needed; acts for the Public defender in his absence.
• Plans, organizes and directs assigned functions of the Public Defender's Office; reviews and evaluates the work of subordinates; supervises and participates in the training of subordinates; participates in the selection of personnel.
• Supervises and participates in preparing cases and representing clients in criminal and civil matters in both court and jury trials and hearings; advises subordinate attorneys in the preparation of cases and defense of clients; serves as resource person for other attorneys.
• Supervises and participates in the most difficult plea bargaining matters; confers with prosecution attorneys, probation authorities, and court officials to discuss pleas, modification of changes, presentation and review of evidence, and other legal mattes; participates in mediation hearings to resolve legal problems without further court action.
• Recommends cases that should be appealed; supervises the preparation and participates in the presentation of appealed cases.
• Lectures to civic and professional groups regarding criminal law, the functions and role of the Public Defender's Office, and functions of the courts.

PLEASE NOTE: This is a departmental promotion. Qualified applicants must currently be employed with the San Joaquin County Public Defender's Office and meet the promotional eligibility requirements as stated in Civil Service Rule 10, Section 3-Eligibility for Promotional Examinations.

EITHER PATTERN I

Experience: Four years as a Deputy Public Defender in San Joaquin County.

OR PATTERN II

Experience: Five years in the practice of law, including three years specialization in criminal law.

Membership: Membership in the California State Bar.

Note:  Supplemental application must be submitted with employment application.

Principles, practices and techniques of management and administration; principles of criminal and civil law and their application; trial and hearing procedures; rules of evidence; state and local laws and ordinances; legal research methods, preparation of briefs and opinions.

Plan and supervise the work of others; analyze legal principles and precedents and to apply them to complex factual legal problems; present statements of fact, law and argument clearly and logically in written and oral form; draft opinions, pleadings, and briefs; independently present complex cases in court before judicial officials; communicate and cooperate with fellow staff members, agency representatives, judicial officers, and the general public; and exercise independent judgment, initiative and discretion, especially in plea negotiations of criminal violations and in the application of limited defense resources.

Life Insurance:  The County provides eligible employees with life insurance coverage as follows: 

1 but less than 3 years of continuous service:                   $1,000
3 but less than 5 years of continuous service:                   $3,000
5 but less than 10 years of continuous service:                 $5,000
10 years of continuous service or more:                           $10,000 

Regular employees in this unit shall be provided with a supplemental life insurance policy with a face value up to $75,000. Employees may purchase additional term life insurance up to a maximum of $200,000 at the group rate. 

125 Flexible Benefits Plan: This is a voluntary program that allows employees to use pre-tax dollars to pay for health-related expenses that are not paid by a medical, dental or vision plan (Health Flexible Spending Account $2,080 annual limit); and dependent care costs (Dependent Care Assistance Plan $5,000 annual limit).

Retirement Plan: Employees of the County are covered by the County Retirement Act of 1937.  Please visit the San Joaquin County Employees’ Retirement Association (SJCERA) at www.sjcera.org for more information.  NOTE:  If you are receiving a retirement allowance from another California county covered by the County Retirement Act of 1937 or from any governmental agency covered by the California Public Employees’ Retirement System (PERS), you are advised to contact the Retirement Officer of the Retirement Plan from which you retired to determine what effect employment in San Joaquin County would have on your retirement allowance.

Deferred Compensation: The County maintains a deferred compensation plan under Section 457 of the IRS code.  You may annually contribute $17,500 or 100% of your includible compensation, whichever is less.  Individuals age 50 or older may contribute up to $23,000.  For members of this unit, the County shall make a contribution equal to 2% of the employee’s base salary to the deferred compensation plan.

Vacation:  Maximum earned vacation is 15 days each year up to 10 years; 20 days after 10 years; and 23 days after 20 years.

Holidays: 14 paid holidays per year.

Vacation Cash-Out:  Members shall have the option of purchasing up to eight 8-hour days vacation time once each calendar year from the member’s accumulated vacation with the approval of the County Administrator.

Administrative Leave:  Each fiscal year, department heads grant 10 days of administrative leave to eligible salaried employees.  Administrative leave may not be carried beyond to the next fiscal year.

Sick Leave: 12 working days of sick leave annually with unlimited accumulation.  Sick leave incentive: An employee is eligible to receive eight hours administrative leave if the leave balance equals at least one-half of the cumulative amount that the employee is eligible to accrue.  The employee must also be on payroll during the entire calendar year.

Bereavement Leave:  3 days of paid leave for the death of an immediate family member, 2 additional days of accrued leave for death of employee’s spouse, domestic partner, parent or child.

Merit Salary Increase: New employees will receive the starting salary, which is the first step of the salary range.  After employees serve 52 weeks (2080 hours) on each step of the range, they are eligible for a merit increase to the next step.

Recruitment Incentives:  Upon the request of the Department Head and with the approval of the County Administrator or his designee, the following recruitment incentives may be provided: 

a)   Reimbursement of moving expenses:  Actual documented cost of
moving to a maximum of $2,000.  Costs may include moving    
expenses, interim housing, and travel expenses related to the move 
for the candidate and his/her family.  Any approved reimbursement
shall be made contingent upon employment, in two incremental
payments:  the first payment after six months of service, the second
after twelve months of service.
b)  Vacation Accrual Rate:  The San Joaquin County vacation accrual
rate consistent with the candidate’s total years of public service.

 c)  Sick Leave:  If the candidate is leaving other employment to accept
the San Joaquin County position, credit of the candidate’s actual
unreimbursable sick leave hours from the candidate’s last agency
will be a maximum of 160 hours.  Such hours shall be subject to San
Joaquin County’s minimum sick leave cash out provisions.

Educational Reimbursement Program:  The County offers an Educational Reimbursement Program which reimburses the employees up to $850 per fiscal year and up to $1,600 per fiscal year for enrollment in an approved career-related course work.  Attorney members assigned to this unit may be reimbursed up to $520 as partial payment of California Bar Association dues, not to exceed actual amount of the dues.

Parking Supplemental Downtown:  The County contributes up to $17 per pay period for employees who pay for parking and are assigned to work in the Downtown Core Area.

School Activities:  Employees may take up to 40 hours per year, but not more than eight (8) hours per month, to participate in their children’s school activities.

Civil Service Rule 10 – Section 3 – Eligibility for Promotional Examinations

To compete in a promotional examination, an employee must:

A. Meet the minimum qualifications of the class on or before the final filing date for filing applications.

B. Meet one of the following qualifying service requirements:

1. Have permanent status in the Classified Service.

2. If a probationary employee in Classified Service, must have served twelve (12) continuous and consecutive months immediately prior to the final filing date. Qualifying service under this rule may have been in either the Classified service or in any combination of Classified Service and service under a public employment program.

3. Public employment program employees who have served at least twelve (12) continuous and consecutive months immediately prior to the final filing date are eligible to compete in promotional examinations for entry level classes or a class equivalent to their current public employment class. For the purpose if this rule, an entry level class is defined as the lowest class in each class series excluding classes designated as trainee classes in the class title.

4. Employees in the Classified Service who have six (6) continuous months’ service in trainee classes or entry level classes, as defined above, shall be eligible for promotional examinations to the next higher class in that same series.

5. Temporary, contract, or exempt employees who have at least six (6) months of full-time service with the County within the last twenty-four (24) months and are currently employed with the County immediately prior to the final filing date are eligible to compete in promotional exams for entry level or trainee classes.

6. Contract or exempt incumbents of positions which are converted to classified service are eligible to compete in promotional exams for the classes of positions which they occupy if they have served 2080 continuous and consecutive payroll hours (equivalent to one (1) year) in the same or related classes of positions as the promotional class immediately prior to the final filing date.

7. A Part-time employee who is actively employed (on payroll) and who has worked 2080 continuous and consecutive hours in a class that is above entry level may compete in promotional recruitment for that classification.

C. Have a rating of satisfactory or better on the last performance evaluation, if applicable.

D. If a person whose name is on a promotional list is separated (except for layoff) the name shall be removed from the promotional list of the action.  

Employees who meet the minimum qualifications will go through one of the following examination process:

• Written Exam: The civil service written exam is a multiple choice format.  If the written exam is administered alone, it will be 100% of the overall score.  Candidates must achieve a minimum rating of 70% in order to be placed on the eligible list.
  
• Oral Exam:   The oral exam is a structured interview process that will assess the candidate’s education, training, and experience and may include a practical exercise.   The oral exam selection process is not a hiring interview.   A panel of up to four people will determine the candidate’s score and rank for placement on the eligible list.  Top candidates from the eligible list are referred for hiring interviews.  If the oral exam is administered alone, it will be 100% of the overall score.  Candidates must achieve a minimum rating of 70% in order to be placed on the eligible list. 
  
• Written & Oral Exam:  If both a written exam and an oral exam is administered, the written exam is weighted at 60% and the oral exam is weighted at 40% unless otherwise indicated on the announcement.  Candidates must achieve a minimum rating of 70% on each examination in order to be placed on the eligible list.
  
• Rate-out:  A rate-out is an examination that involves a paper rating of the candidate’s application using the following criteria: education, training, and experience. Candidates will not be scheduled for the rate-out process. 

Note:  The rating of 70 referred to may be the same or other than an arithmetic 70% of the total possible points.

Testing Accommodation:  Candidates who require testing accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) must call Human Resources Division at (209) 468-3370 prior to the examination date.   

Eligible Lists:   Candidates who pass the examination will be placed on an eligible list for that classification.  Eligible lists are effective for one year, but may be extended up to two additional years by the Civil Service Commission.  

Certification/Referral: Names from the eligible list will be referred to the hiring department by the following methods.

• Rule of Five:  The top five names will be referred for hiring interviews.  This applies only to department or countywide promotional examination.

Physical Exam:  Some classifications require physical examinations. Final appointment cannot be made until the eligible has passed the physical examination. The County pays for physical examinations administered in its medical facilities.

Employment of Relatives: Applicants who are relatives of employees in a department within the 3rd degree of relationship, (parent, child, grand parent, grand child or sibling) either by blood or marriage, may not be appointed, promoted, transferred into or within the department when;

·         They are related to the Appointing Authority or

·         The employment would result in one of them supervising the work of the other.

Department Head may establish additional limitations on the hiring of relatives by departmental rule.

Applicants who meet the minimum qualifications will go through the following examination process:

• Written Exam: The civil service written exam is a multiple choice format.  If the written exam is administered alone, it will be 100% of the overall score.  Candidates must achieve a minimum rating of 70% in order to be placed on the eligible list.
  
• Oral Exam:   The oral exam is a structured interview process that will assess the candidate’s education, training, and experience and may include a practical exercise.   The oral exam selection process is not a hiring interview.   A panel of up to four people will determine the candidate’s score and rank for placement on the eligible list.  Top candidates from the eligible list are referred for hiring interviews.  If the oral exam is administered alone, it will be 100% of the overall score.  Candidates must achieve a minimum rating of 70% in order to be placed on the eligible list. 
  
• Written & Oral Exam:  If both a written exam and an oral exam is administered, the written exam is weighted at 60% and the oral exam is weighted at 40% unless otherwise indicated on the announcement.  Candidates must achieve a minimum rating of 70% on each examination in order to be placed on the eligible list.
  
• Rate-out:  A rate-out is an examination that involves a paper rating of the candidate’s application using the following criteria: education, training, and experience. Candidates will not be scheduled for the rate-out process. 

 Note:  The rating of 70 referred to may be the same or other than an arithmetic 70% of the total possible points.

Testing Accommodation:  Candidates who require testing accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) must call Human Resources Division at (209) 468-3370 prior to the examination date.   

Veteran’s Points:  Eligible veterans, unmarried widows and widowers of veterans of the United States Armed Forces who have been honorably discharged and who have served during wartime shall be given veteran’s points in initial appointment to County service.  Eligible veterans receive 5 points and eligible disabled veterans receive 10 points. Disabled veterans must submit a recent award letter stating a 10% service connected disability issued by the United States Veterans Administration.  Note:  A copy of your DD214 showing the discharge type must be received in the Human Resources by the date of the examination.

Acceptable wartime service dates:

• September 16, 1940 to December 31, 1946

• June 27, 1950 to January 31, 1955

• August 5, 1964 to May 7, 1975

• Persian Gulf War, August 2, 1990, through a date to be set by law or Presidential Proclamation.

Eligible Lists:   Candidates who pass the examination will be placed on an eligible list for that classification.  Eligible lists are effective for nine months, but may be extended by the Human Resources Director for a period which shall not exceed a total of three years from the date established.

Certification/Referral: Names from the eligible list will be referred to the hiring department by the following methods.

• Rule of the Rank: The top rank or ranks of eligibles will be referred for hiring interviews.  The minimum number of names to be referred will be equal to the number of positions plus nine, or 10% of the eligible list, whichever is higher.  When filling nine or more positions in a department at the same time, the top rank or ranks will be referred and the minimum number of names shall be two times the number of positions to be filled or 10% of the eligible list, whichever is higher. This applies only to open competitive recruitments.
• Rule of Five:  The top five names will be referred for hiring interviews.  This applies only to department or countywide promotional examination.
• Rule of the List: For classifications designated by the Director of Human Resources, the entire eligible list will be referred to the department.

Physical Exam:  Some classifications require physical examinations. Final appointment cannot be made until the eligible has passed the physical examination. The County pays for physical examinations administered in its medical facilities.

Pre-Employment Drug Screening Exam:  Some classifications require a new employee successfully pass a pre-employment drug screen as a condition of employment.  Final appointment cannot be made until the eligible has passed the drug screen.  The County pays for the initial drug screen.

Employment of Relatives: Applicants who are relatives of employees in a department within the 3rd degree of relationship, (parent, child, grand parent, grand child or sibling) either by blood or marriage, may not be appointed, promoted, transferred into or within the department when;

• They are related to the Appointing Authority or

• The employment would result in one of them supervising the work of the other.

Department Head may establish additional limitations on the hiring of relatives by departmental rule.

Proof of Eligibility:  If you are offered a job you will be required to provide proof of U.S. citizenship or other documents that establish your eligibility to be employed in the U.S.

Apply Online:       

www.sjgov.org/hr

By mail or in person:  

San Joaquin County Human Resources

44 N. San Joaquin Street Suite 330

Stockton, Ca 95202                                  

Office hours:               
Monday – Friday 8:00 am to 5:00 pm; excluding holidays.

Phone:  (209) 468-3370 

Job Line:

For current employment opportunities please call our 24-hour job line at (209) 468-3377. 

When a final filing date is indicated, applications must be filed with the Human Resources Division before 5:00 p.m. or postmarked by the final filing date. Resumes will not be accepted in lieu of an application. Applications sent through county inter-office mail, which are not received by the final filing date, will not be accepted. (The County assumes no responsibility for mailed applications which are not received by the Human Resources Division).  

San Joaquin County Substance Abuse Policy: San Joaquin County has adopted a Substance Abuse Policy in compliance with the Federal Drug Free Workplace Act of 1988. This policy is enforced by all San Joaquin County Departments and applies to all San Joaquin County employees.

Equal Opportunity Employer:  San Joaquin County is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Employer and is committed to providing equal employment to all without regard to age, ancestry, color, creed, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation or belief, pregnancy, race, religion, sex, or sexual orientation.  For more information go to www.sjgov.org/eeo.