Conflict Deputy I, II or Senior, DOQ

Whatcom County•Bellingham, WA

12d•Onsite

About The Position

Whatcom County is currently recruiting for a Senior Conflict Deputy I or II, DOQ to work within the Conflict Public Defender's office. This position acts as court-appointed counsel providing every aspect of legal representation to persons charged with a state crime or delinquent act and who, because of indigence, cannot obtain counsel to represent them. This position will remain open until filled. Applications will be reviewed and interviews scheduled as they come in. Recruitment will be suspended once the position has been filled.

Requirements

Conflict Deputy I: Must be a member in good standing with the Washington State Bar Association.
Conflict Deputy II: three (3) years of experience as a public defender, prosecuting attorney, or private criminal defense counsel
Senior Conflict Deputy: six (6) years of experience as a public defender, prosecuting attorney, or private criminal defense counsel
Senior Conflict Deputy II: twenty (20) years of experience as a public defender, prosecuting attorney, or private criminal defense counsel AND qualified under the Standards of Indigent Defense to handle felony cases OR qualified for class A. Office of Public Defense standards in Superior Court and Court of Limited Jurisdiction rule 3.1 and Juvenile Court Rule 9.2.
Must be a current member in good standing of the Washington State Bar Association, OR must be a current member in good standing of another State Bar Association AND must become a member of the Washington State Bar Association by passing the next Washington State Bar exam.
Background check must meet County criteria

Nice To Haves

Trial experience in criminal law is preferred.
Spanish language fluency is desired.

Responsibilities

Clear backlog of cases, representing Indigent Clients in Superior, Juvenile and District who have a conflict of interest with the Public Defender’s office.
Interviews defendants as assigned to determine the facts of the case.
Reviews police and other reports to evaluate each case against the state of the law to determine its relative strengths and weaknesses, to prepare for plea negotiations, development of case strategy, and trial preparation.
Independently researches, prepares, and argues pre-trial motions.
Instigates or responds to plea bargaining negotiations on behalf of the defendant and represents the defendant's interests in the negotiations.
Coordinates or conducts the case investigation for trial preparation as necessary.
Arranges for tests of physical evidence, the testimony of expert witnesses and interviews witnesses as required.
Conducts all trial actions including selection of jury, cross and direct examination, introduction of evidence and exhibits and makes arguments on the law and interpretation of the evidence.
Represents defendants at all legal proceedings including, but not limited to: arraignments, pre-trial motions, guilty pleas and post-trial matters, such as restitution hearings and sentence reviews, presenting defense recommendations for disposition of cases.
Keeps clients reasonably informed about the status of their case and promptly complies with reasonable requests for information.
Explains matters to clients to the extent reasonably necessary to permit the clients to make informed decisions about their cases.
Complies with all Rules of Professional Conduct as adopted by the Washington Supreme Court.