Public Defender Investigator I/II/III - County of Riverside
Riverside, CA 92501
About the Job
The County of Riverside Public Defender's Office is seeking to fill multiple Public Defender Investigator positions located in Riverside, Murrieta, Banning and Indio to support their Misdemeanor Unit and Second Look Program.
The Public Defender Investigator I classification is the first working level class in the Public Defender Investigator series. Incumbents in this class perform criminal, civil, and/or juvenile investigations of moderate difficulty, or under close supervision, assists with cases requiring more advanced or specialized methods and techniques of investigations.
The Public Defender Investigator II conducts a variety of difficult and complex criminal and/or civil investigations, requiring a broad scope of investigative techniques, independent analysis of information and evidence, and independent action. involving the gathering of evidence for the legal representation of clients. The Public Defender Investigator II class is the journey level classification in the Public Defender Investigator series.
The Public Defender Investigator III classification is the advanced and lead level class in the Public Defender Investigator series and is subject to rotation of assignments according to business needs. Incumbents in this class independently perform or lead a team in performing the most sensitive, difficult, and complex investigative work (with primary assignment focus on death penalty cases, special circumstances, multiple victim homicide investigations, etc.). Incumbents typically report to Deputy Public Defenders for case orientation and direction, and a Supervising Public Defender Investigator for technical supervision in the Office of the Public Defender.
The Public Defender Investigator III is distinguished from Supervising Public Defender Investigator in that the latter is the first line supervisor in the series.
Meet the Team!
It is the mission of the Law Offices of the Public Defender to provide the highest quality legal representation to any person unable to afford it for criminal, juvenile, or certain civil proceedings. The Public Defender strives to preserve human dignity in all cases where citizens' liberties are at stake. The Public Defender is dedicated to the principle that no citizen shall be deprived of life, liberty, or property without competent, professional, and vigorous representation so that due process is implemented fairly, equitably, and without prejudice. The Public Defender is headquartered in Riverside, with additional offices providing support to residents in Banning, Blythe, Murrieta, and Indio.
EXAMPLES OF ESSENTIAL DUTIES
• Performs in-depth investigations relating to the charges filed against clients in capital and special circumstance cases.
• Performs in-depth background investigations into the criminal records and personal lives of defendants to develop thorough case histories for presentation in the penalty phase of death penalty trials.
• Locates, gathers, documents, maintains, secures, and analyzes information, evidence, records, and reports; assists attorneys by researching and studying cases to develop background information.
• Develops rapport and performs in-depth interviews with clients; assists attorneys by interviewing clients in custody to gather information and to initiate further investigation; locates, and interviews all parties known by the client and/or related to the case including teachers, doctors, neighbors, friends, relatives, and witnesses; develops working relationships with key witnesses; obtains statements from witnesses; completes and issues subpoenas as necessary.
• Locates and communicates with a variety of technical experts to conduct specialized tests of clients or evidence and/or to provide expert testimony in court; coordinates the testing of clients with subject matter experts.
• Prepares clients for court; operates technical investigative equipment such as tape recorders, still and video cameras; reconstructs crime scenes using pictures, video tape recordings, measurements, and diagrams.
• Reviews evidence, generates alternate explanations and arguments, and develops recommendations for attorney's review; testifies in court regarding the facts and findings of the investigation and the nature of evidence obtained.
• As directed by attorneys, prepares detailed reports of the actions taken and findings regarding assigned investigations; prepares correspondence regarding assigned investigations.
• May train and/or lead other Public Defender Investigators.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
Public Defender Investigator I
Option I
Experience:Two years of experience as an investigator, special agent, or detective in a federal, state, local, and/or military agency. Includes California (other states recognized by CA) licensed criminal private investigators.
Option II
Education:Completion of 30 semester or 45 quarter units at an accredited college or university, including 12 semester or 18 quarter units in administration of justice, criminal justice, criminology, psychology, sociology, or related field.
AND
Experience:
One year of experience which included as a primary responsibility the performance of field investigations in order to: (1) obtain evidence to be used in ongoing legal proceedings, or (2) to recommend to the court the disposition of cases.
OR
Two years of experience which included as a primary responsibility the interviewing of defendants of court proceedings in order to obtain information to be used by an attorney in the settlement, prosecution, or defense of cases.
OR
Two years of experience which included as a primary responsibility the interviewing of clients or patients in a social service, health, or mental health setting in order to provide services of a sub-professional nature.
Knowledge of: The methods and techniques of investigation, including the interviewing and interrogation of witnesses; basic psychological principles; criminal law including the laws of arrest, search and seizure, and/or the laws, rules, and regulations relating to juveniles, and/or the laws, regulations, and procedures relating to conservatorship, custody, and child support.
Ability to:Obtain information through interview or interrogation of reticent, hostile, or incompetent persons; draw logical conclusions and formulate sound recommendations; prepare clear, concise, and comprehensive reports; understand medical and psychiatric terminology; establish and maintain effective working relationships with co-workers, members of law enforcement, psychiatric and social services agencies, and the public; communicate effectively in written and oral form.
Public Defender Investigator II
Option I
Experience:One year of experience as a Public Defender Investigator I with Riverside County.
Option II
Education:Completion of 30 semester or 45 quarter units at an accredited college or university, including 12 semester or 18 quarter units in administration of justice, criminal justice, criminology, psychology, sociology, or a related field.
AND
Experience:Two years of experience as an investigator, special agent, or detective in a federal, state, local and/or military agency. Includes California (other states recognized by CA) licensed criminal private investigators
Knowledge of: The methods and techniques of investigation, including gathering and preserving evidence; the rules of evidence; criminal law, including the laws of arrest, search, and seizure and/or the laws, and regulations relating to juveniles, and/or the laws, regulations, and procedures relating to conservatorship, custody, and child support; the techniques of interviewing and interrogating witnesses and mentally deficient clients; basic psychological principles.
Ability to: Gather, assemble, and evaluate facts and evidence; formulate sound recommendations; obtain information through interviews and other interrogative techniques; draw logical conclusions and formulate sound recommendations; prepare clear, concise, and comprehensive reports; understand medical and psychiatric terminology; establish and maintain effective working relationships with co-workers, members of law enforcement agencies, psychiatric and social services agencies, and the general public; communicate effectively in written and oral form.
Public Defender Investigator III
Option I
Experience: Two years of experience as a Public Defender Investigator II for the Office of the Public Defender of Riverside County.
Option II
Education: Completion of 30 semester or 45 quarter units at an accredited college or university, including 12 semester or 18 quarter units in administration of justice, criminal justice, criminology, psychology, sociology, or a related field.
AND
Experience: Three years of experience as an investigator, special agent, or detective in a federal, state, local and/or military agency. Includes California (other states recognized by CA) licensed criminal private investigators.
Knowledge of: Criminal law including the laws of arrest, search, and seizure; the phases of a death penalty trial; the methods and techniques of investigation including identifying, gathering , and preserving evidence; the rules of evidence; the techniques of interviewing and interrogating people of varied socio-economic and cultural backgrounds; the locations of and means to obtain information, evidence, records, and reports; a variety of subject matter experts; basic psychological principles.
Ability to: Locate, identify, gather, assemble, evaluate, and present facts and evidence; develop rapport and maintain effective working relationships with people of varied professional, socioeconomic, and cultural backgrounds; communicate effectively in oral and written form; obtain information through interviews and other interrogative techniques; review information and evidence, draw logical conclusions, and formulate sound recommendations; reconstruct crime scenes; prepare clear, concise, and comprehensive reports; assign and review the work of other investigative personnel.
SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION
Other Requirements
Upload a copy of your degree or transcripts as an attachment to your Government Jobs account at the time of application.
Competitive experience/education must be reflected on your application/resume.
Bilingual in Spanish is competitive/preferred.
License: Possession of a California Driver's License is required.
Veteran's Preference
The County has a Veteran's Preference Policy. Upload a copy of your (or your spouse's) Member-4 Form DD-214 indicating dates of service, and a copy of your spouse's letter of disability (if applicable) with your application. For privacy reasons, it is recommended that you remove your social security information from the document(s). A Human Resources Representative will review the materials and determine if you qualify for veterans' preference. See the policy here .
Reasonable Accommodations
The County of Riverside is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to applicants as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA). Qualified individuals with disabilities who need a reasonable accommodation during the application or selection process should contact the recruiter for the position noted above. For additional information and/or to obtain the appropriate form for requesting a reasonable accommodation, please visit the Disability Access Office web page located at: http://dao.rc-hr.com/ .
What's Next?
This recruitment is open to all applicants.
Applicants who are current County of Riverside employees and/or current employees of the Public Defender's Office may be considered before other applicants depending on the volume of applications received.
Qualified applicants may be considered for future vacancies throughout the County. Based on the number of applications received, this posting may close without notice.
For more information regarding the position, please contact the recruiter Ashley Voegele at (951) 955-5736 or via email at avoegele@rivco.org.
MEDICAL/DENTAL/VISION INSURANCE: A choice of different medical, dental and visions plan are available to elect. The County provides a Flexible Benefit Credit contribution as governed by the applicable LIUNA Memorandum of Understanding to contribute towards the cost of these plans.
Note: Employees on assignment through the Temporary Assignment Program (TAP) receive different benefits. See the list here .
MISCELLANEOUS RETIREMENT: County of Riverside has three retirement Tiers through the California Public Employees' Retirement System (CalPERS).
- Tier I (Classic Member - Formula 3% @ 60): Applicable to current and former County of Riverside local miscellaneous employees hired prior to 08/24/2012 and did not withdraw CalPERS contributions. The employee contribution is eight (8%) percent.
- Tier II (Classic Member - Formula 2% @ 60): Applicable to local miscellaneous employees 1) hired after 08/23/2012 through 12/31/2012; 2) Previously employed with another CalPERS contracting public agency or a reciprocal retirement system, with a break in service of less than six months between the separation date with the previous employer and the appointment date with the County of Riverside. The employee contribution is seven (7%) percent.
- Tier III (PEPRA New Member - Formula 2% @ 62): Applicable to CalPERS local miscellaneous new members hired on or after the implementation of the Public Employees' Pension Reform Act of 2013 (PEPRA) which took effect January 1, 2013. As of July 1, 2020, the employee contribution is 7.25% and subject to change annually.
A new member is defined as any of the following:
CalPERS refers to all members that do not fit within the definition of a new member as "classic members".
Contribution rates are subject to change based on the County of Riverside annual actuarial valuation.
Note:
This summary is for general information purposes only. Additional questions regarding retirement formulas can be sent to retirement@rivco.org or by calling the Benefits Information Line at (951) 955-4981,
Option 2.
If you have prior service credit with another CalPERS agency or within agencies, please contact CalPERS at (888) 225-7377 to determine which retirement tier would be applicable to you. CalPERS is governed by the Public Employees' Retirement Law. The Retirement Law is complex and subject to change. If there's any conflict between this summary and the law, the law will prevail over this summary.
DEFERRED COMPENSATION: Voluntary employee contribution with a choice between two 457 deferred compensation plan options.
VACATION ACCRUAL (Bi-Weekly Accrual):
0< 3 year = 80 Hours (10 Days)
4< 9 years = 120 Hours (15 Days)
10 or more years = 160 Hours (20 Days)
Maximum Vacation leave accumulation is 480 hours.
SICK LEAVE: Four (4) hours Sick Leave accrual per pay period with unlimited accrual.
HOLIDAYS: Normally 12 paid holidays per year
BEREAVEMENT LEAVE: Allowed 5 days (3 days are County paid; 2 additional days can be taken from accrued Sick Leave balance)
BASIC LIFE INSURANCE: Equal to one times annual base salary not to exceed $50,000 of term life coverage. Premiums are paid by the County. Additional Supplemental Life plan is available for employee purchase.
DISABILITY: Short-term Disability benefit pays up to a maximum of $461.54 weekly, payable up to a maximum of 52 weeks.
POST RETIREMENT MEDICAL CONTRIBUTION: A monthly contribution is made by the County towards retiree health insurance offered through the County as governed by the applicable Memorandum of Understanding.
OTHER: There may be other benefit provisions as specified in the applicable Memorandum of Understanding. Please contact the recruiter listed on the job posting directly for more information.