Assistant District Attorney I Felony Drug Unit

Lancaster County•Lancaster, PA

17d

About The Position

An Assistant District Attorney is responsible for the prosecution of a wide array of criminal offenses and handles all phases of a prosecution from pre-investigation through post-sentence appeals. It is the duty of an Assistant District Attorney to seek justice. In doing so, an Assistant District Attorney is responsible for evaluating cases, taking into consideration resources, strength of the evidence, severity of the crime, any impact on victims and the community and policy considerations. Compensation is subject to collective bargaining. An Assistant District Attorney assigned to the Felony Drug Unit is responsible for a personal caseload including investigation review/consultation, preliminary hearings, appropriate bail hearings, pretrial matters, plea negotiations, trials, and post-trial and appellate matters. This person is also responsible for approving search warrants and criminal charges involving controlled substances including drug delivery resulting in death. This person must be well versed in the laws of search and seizure, the Rules of Evidence and the forfeiture laws.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree
Juris Doctorate degree
Licensed to practice law in the Commonwealth of PA
An Assistant District Attorney is a trial attorney and must possess analytical abilities, communication skills, a working knowledge of the criminal justice system as well as an understanding of the current state of the law, Pennsylvania crimes code, rules of criminal procedure and possess a presence in the courtroom.
The ADA who holds this position must have specialized knowledge in PA criminal prosecution particularly of the PA Controlled Substance, Drug, Device and Cosmetic Act, the PA electronic surveillance act and the forfeiture statutes; must be able to provide effective instruction to law enforcement personnel on these issues; and must be able to direct a major criminal investigation; must be able to foster collaborative work between law enforcement, and other government agencies.
License to practice law in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
Successfully meet the requirements of the criminal history background check.
Compliance with the County's "authorized" driver guidelines.

Responsibilities

Conduct Preliminary Hearing blocks.
Screen assigned cases for discovery, plea offer, pretrial litigation, and trial presentation.
Conduct pretrial hearings, jury and bench trials, juvenile hearings and posttrial hearings.
Conduct summary conviction appeals, current business sessions, guilty pleas, and bench warrants.
Prepare pretrial, post-trial and appellate briefs and memoranda of law.
Advise law enforcement officers on cases, charges and law.
Be a point of contact for the Drug Task Force and the Selective Enforcement Unit for approval of drug search warrants and criminal complaints.
Verify Rule 600 status of each assigned case.
Act as Duty DA to be on call for the office on a rotating basis.
Assist in the training of all new Assistant District Attorneys
Provide trainings to police or others as requested by DA.
Complete continuing legal education in order to maintain license to practice law.
Perform other duties as assigned