Deputy District Attorney III – Criminal Division

Salary : $157,368.85 – $191,284.55 Annually

Location : Santa Rosa, CA

Job Type: Full-Time

Job Number: 23/08-4015-OCRIM

Department: District Attorney’s Office (DAO)

Opening Date: 08/18/2023

Closing Date: 9/7/2023 11:59 PM Pacific

Position Information

The Sonoma County District Attorney’s Office is seeking an experienced attorney to join their Criminal Division team!

Starting salary up to $91.65/hourly ($191,284/annually) and a competitive total compensation package!*

At this time, the Deputy District Attorney – Criminal Division can be filled at the III or IV level, depending on qualifications. If you are interested in applying at the IV level, you must apply to the separate concurrent recruitment being conducted for that level.

When you join the District Attorney’s Office, you become part of a team-oriented group of attorneys dedicated to public service. You can also look forward to excellent benefits* including:

• Salary Advancement – A salary increase after 1,040 hours (6 months when working full-time) for good work performance; eligibility for a salary increase for good performance every year thereafter, until reaching the top of the salary range
• Paid Time Off – Competitive vacation and sick leave accruals, 12 paid holidays, and an additional 8 floating holiday hours per year
• County Paid Health Premium Contributions – 100% premium contribution for the majority of employee-only and employee + family health plan options
• Staff Development/Wellness Pay – Annual benefit allowances of up to $1,250 and ongoing education/training opportunities
• Annual Professional Development benefit – $452
• Post-Retirement Health Reimbursement Arrangement – County contributions to help fund post-retirement employee health insurance/benefits
• Retirement – A pension fully integrated with Social Security
• Paid Parental Leave – May be eligible for up to 8 weeks (320 hours) after 12 months of County employment

Working for the District Attorney’s Office
The Deputy District Attorney III – Criminal Division (Deputy DA III) prosecutes all misdemeanor cases and a wide variety of felony cases. This position conducts preliminary hearings and both misdemeanor and felony jury trials. The Deputy District Attorney III reviews misdemeanor and felony matters for filing, prosecutes misdemeanor and felony cases in court, and handles all manner of courtroom calendars including arraignments, bail hearings, law and motion, and felony sentencing. The successful candidate will have demonstrated experience with filing misdemeanor and felony cases, misdemeanor and felony calendar management, preliminary hearings, and misdemeanor and felony trials.

The Deputy DA III position does not supervise other prosecutors or staff members, but may provide guidance or advice to less experienced prosecutors as needed. This position reports directly to a Chief Deputy, but may also receive guidance from the Assistant District Attorney, or the District Attorney. This position often operates as part of a prosecution team, and must be comfortable and collegial when collaborating with and assisting fellow prosecutors. Deputy District Attorney III is an advanced level position and the selected candidate is expected to exercise independent judgement and initiative in handling complex criminal cases from the investigation stage through deposition.

In addition to a strong interest in criminal justice and a desire to assist crime victims, the ideal candidate will possess:

• Experience with both criminal prosecutions, acquired in a District Attorney’s Office, Attorney General’s Office, US Attorney’s Office, or private law firm
• Experience handling complex legal matters and presenting such matters effectively in court
• The ability to independently manage cases and work in a team environment
• The initiative and passion to be a self-starter, with the ability to apply common sense and organization to efficiently handle complex legal matters
• The ability to exercise excellent legal judgment in criminal cases
• Excellent stress management and time management skills
• The ability to empathetically communicate with victims of crime
• Effective negotiation and interpersonal skills, including the ability to interact professionally and effectively with co-workers, law enforcement officers, defense attorneys, courts, and all members of the public
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, including Word and PowerPoint, Outlook, Lexis-Nexis, Prosecutor by Karpel, or other electronic case management system

In addition, prior attendance at California District Attorneys Association or National District Attorneys Association seminars in Trial Practice, Felony Sentencing, and other areas relating to criminal prosecution is highly desired.

THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY’S OFFICE

Under the leadership of the District Attorney, Carla Rodriguez, the Sonoma County District Attorney’s Office is the largest legal office in the County and has a staff of 133 employees including attorneys, investigators, paralegals, and clerical support. Each year the office files approximately 4,000 felony cases and over 14,000 misdemeanor cases which include the full range of offenses.

For recent press releases, please visit:

THE COUNTY OF SONOMA

Located less than an hour’s drive north of San Francisco, Sonoma County combines in one location the beautiful Pacific Coastline, award winning wineries, majestic redwoods, historic towns, fine dining, and a wide variety of entertainment and cultural activities.

Sonoma County is the largest county in the North Bay, covering approximately 1,600 square miles, and home to over 488,000 residents. Santa Rosa, with a population of 171,000, is the County seat and center of government, commerce, and medical facilities. Santa Rosa and the County’s seven other incorporated cities each maintain a small town feel, despite ongoing growth. Excellent health care services are available at four acute care hospitals, a trauma center, and 19 specialty medical facilities. Fine educational institutions, including Santa Rosa Junior College and Sonoma State University, and local schools that rank considerably better in the Academic Performance Index than the state as a whole, further contribute to Sonoma County’s exceptional quality of life.

For local real estate or community information, please visit: ,

THE COUNTY GOVERNMENT

The County of Sonoma is governed by the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors and is comprised of 28 departments/agencies/commissions that provide a full range of services to the community. Sonoma County government has a history of providing excellent and responsive public service, while operating under sound fiscal principles. This is achieved in a climate of respect and collaboration.

The employment list established from this recruitment may also be used to fill future full-time, part-time, or extra-help positions as they occur during the active status of this list. County employees who wish to be considered for future vacancies should consider applying to this recruitment. The Civil Service title for this classification is Deputy District Attorney III.

*Salary is negotiable within the established range. Benefits described herein do not represent a contract and may be changed without notice. Additional information can be found in the and our directory.

APPLICATION SUBMISSIONS REQUIRE THE SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONNAIRE BE COMPLETED

Minimum Qualifications

Experience: Legal experience subsequent to membership in the State Bar of California, which directly related to the knowledge and abilities listed. Normally, two years of legal experience practicing criminal law as a licensed attorney, including one year of experience comparable to the level of Deputy District Attorney II in Sonoma County; or two years of legal experience as a licensed attorney with related experience to specialty assignments such as Environmental and Consumer Law or Juvenile Law; or equivalent experience with another prosecuting agency, would provide the opportunity to acquire the knowledge and abilities listed.

Professional License: Current active membership in the State Bar of California.

Special Qualifications: A statement from the District Attorney indicating successful completion of a felony training assignment will qualify incumbents to prosecute felony cases.

License: Possession of a valid driver’s license at the appropriate level including special endorsements, as required by the State of California, may be required depending upon assignment to perform the essential job functions of the position.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Considerable knowledge of: the duties, powers, limitations, and authorities of the Office of the District Attorney; the principles of criminal law, principles of trial procedure, and rules of evidence; legal research methods and judicial procedure; the statutory and constitutional laws of the State of California; written and oral communications, including language mechanics, syntax and English composition.

Ability to: research, analyze and apply legal principles, facts, evidence and precedents to legal problems; consistently prepare and present statements of law, fact and argument clearly, logically and persuasively in written and oral form in all legal matters; establish and maintain effective working relationships with staff members, departmental representatives, county officials, the courts, law enforcement agency officials, and the general public; understand and accept differences in human behavior, and cultural and ethnic backgrounds.

Selection Procedure & Some Helpful Tips When Applying

• Your application information and your responses to the supplemental questions are evaluated and taken into consideration throughout the entire selection process.
• You should list all employers and positions held within the last ten years in the work history section of your application. Be as thorough as possible when responding to the supplemental questions.
• You may include history beyond ten years if related to the position for which you are applying. If you held multiple positions with one employer, list out each position separately.
• Failure to follow these instructions may impact your competitiveness in this process or may result in disqualification.

Please visit to review more detailed information about the hiring process, including the application process, examination steps, and department selection process.

APPLICATION SUBMISSIONS REQUIRE THE SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONNAIRE BE COMPLETED.

Responses to supplemental questions will be scored using position-specific criteria. Please provide specific and detailed responses of a reasonable length to allow for a thorough assessment of your qualifications. Responses that state “See Resume” or “See Application” may be considered insufficient and therefore may not be scored.

The selection procedure will consist of the following examination:

An Application & Supplemental Questionnaire Appraisal Examination (weight 100%) will be conducted to evaluate each applicant’s application and supplemental questionnaire for satisfaction of minimum qualifications (pass/not pass); and for educational coursework, training, experience, knowledge, and abilities which relate to this position. Each applicant will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

• Relevance of work history, related experience, and achieved level of education and/or training as described in the application and responses to the supplemental questions.

Candidates demonstrating possession of the minimum qualifications will be placed on an employment list in order of most qualified to least qualified based on the achieved score received in the Application & Supplemental Questionnaire Appraisal Examination. Scores may be adjusted based on such factors as the number of candidates, anticipated vacancies, past practice, and natural breaks in the scores achieved by this group of candidates.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATIONIt is the policy of law enforcement and legal offices and departments, in the County of Sonoma, that candidates complete a thorough background investigation process prior to employment. This policy is imperative in order to keep the department’s employees and the public safe and to maintain high standards in the law enforcement community. Candidates referred to departments for a selection interview are typically required to sign authorization and release forms enabling such an investigation. Failure to sign prescribed forms will result in the candidate not being considered further for that vacancy. Reference information will not be made available to applicants.

The background investigation will include a thorough assessment of a candidate’s personal, employment, educational, criminal, and credit history. The investigation may include, but is not necessarily limited to: use of prescription and/or other drugs, reports from former employers, friends, family members, educational institutions, law enforcement agencies, credit reports, court reports, public records search, and/or other relevant sources. Candidates must be honest and forthcoming about information that may arise during the background process. Deception during any portion of this process is grounds for disqualification, even after employment.

Depending on the assignment, candidates may be required to take a pre-employment medical examination and may be required to take a polygraph examination. All candidates for law enforcement positions are required to undergo drug testing as part of the selection process. Additionally, candidates may be required to take a pre-employment psychological and physical abilities examination. The results of these examinations and the background investigation shall be confidential and shall not be available to the candidate for review. Failure to pass the background investigation will eliminate a candidate from the employment process. You may also review the to determine the requirements for this position.

Issues that arise during the investigation process will be assessed and judgment and discretion will be used to determine the employability of the candidate. Where there is evidence of a candidate’s past use of controlled substances, many factors shall be used to determine the employability of the individual such as a pattern of use, kind of drug used, circumstances of the start of the drug use, treatment, behavior and attitude since discontinuance, etc. Please note that a history of using controlled substances does not result in automatic disqualification from the selection process. Prior to disqualifying any candidate whose profile falls within the provisions of the policy, the candidate shall be given the opportunity to present any and all evidence of mitigating facts that the candidate feels should be considered by the hiring authority. If you receive a conditional job offer for the position, the requirements upon which the offer is contingent will be outlined in the conditional job letter.

HOW TO APPLYApplications are accepted online at . Paper applications may be submitted by person, fax (707-565-3770), email, or through the mail. All applications and appropriate supplemental information as outlined in the job bulletin must be RECEIVED by the time and date specified on the first page of this job announcement. Applications received after the recruitment closes will not be accepted.

The County of Sonoma values diversity and is dedicated to creating a workplace environment that provides individuals with a sense of belonging. We are committed to having a diverse workforce that is representative of the communities we serve. The County is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer where all aspects of employment are based on merit, competence, performance, and business need.

HR Analyst: DP
HR Technician: EV

IMPORTANT NOTE: Benefits described herein do not apply to Extra Help positions.

COUNTY OF SONOMA BENEFITS: SCPA*

These are some of the excellent benefits the County offers:

Paid Time Off: Competitive vacation accrual and sick leave accruals; additional management leave annually; 12 paid holidays, and an additional 8 floating holiday hours per year; and may be eligible for up to 8 weeks (320 hours) of Paid Parental Leave after 12 months of County employment.

Health Plan: Choice of five health plans (a PPO, EPO, HMO, and two deductible HMOs) with a County contribution toward the premium (the contribution amount varies by bargaining unit. For specific details, please refer to the applicable MOU). A County contribution to a Health Reimbursement Arrangement is available for some bargaining units.

Retirement: Fully integrated with Social Security. For more information regarding eligibility, retirement contributions, and reciprocity with prior public service, please visit

IRS 457 Plan: Pre-tax employee contribution up to the IRS annual maximum.

Retiree Medical: County contribution to a Health Reimbursement Arrangement to help fund post-retirement employee health insurance/benefits.

Plus excellent dental, vision, disability, life insurance, professional development, and more.

For answers to specific questions regarding the employment process and more details about benefits or retirement, please contact Human Resources at (707) 565-2331. Additional details about benefit and compensation packages can be found in the MOUs located at For specific information about health and welfare benefits including plan options, coverage, and premium amounts go to or, contact the Human Resources’ Risk Management-Benefits Office at or (707) 565-2900.

*IMPORTANT NOTES: Benefits described herein do not represent a contract and may be changed without notice.

01

How did you first learn about this opportunity?

• Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG)
• California District Attorneys Association
• Careers in Government
• College or University
• Craigslist
• DiversityJobs
• Employee of Sonoma County
• Facebook
• Glassdoor
• Google Jobs
• GovernmentJobs.com
• Handshake
• Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Sonoma County
• Indeed
• Instagram
• Job Fair
• La Voz
• Latino Service Providers
• LinkedIn
• Los Cien
• Minority Organization or Group
• Municipal Management Association of Northern California
• National District Attorneys Association
• Press Democrat
• sonoma-county.org/www.yourpath2sonomacounty.org
• Sonoma County Human Resources Office
• Sonoma County Job Line
• Start Here!
• Twitter
• Veterans Services Office
• Women’s Organization or Group
• Workplace Diversity
• Other Internet Site
• Other Publication

02

Please indicate if you would also be interested in future part-time or extra-help (temporary, intermittent, or seasonal employment) positions should they become available. Check all that apply.

• I would also like to be considered for future part-time positions
• I would also like to be considered for future extra-help positions
• I am only interested in full-time positions

03

This eligible list may be used for future bilingual (English/Spanish) positions. Please indicate if you are interested in bilingual positions, and your level of proficiency.

• Yes, I have basic (conversational) English/Spanish bilingual skills
• Yes, I have fluent (reading, writing, and conversational) English/Spanish bilingual skills
• No, I do not have English/Spanish bilingual skills, and/or I do not wish to be considered for a bilingual position

04

Please indicate if you have a current active membership in the State Bar of California.

• Yes
• No

05

For this question and all subsequent questions, provide sufficient information to allow for a thorough evaluation of your qualifications.
Please describe your experience performing civil and criminal litigation including, but not limited to, charging, motion, or appellate practice; case development; discovery issues, and preparing pleadings; and negotiations and settlements. Be sure to include all the litigation responsibilities you have performed.

06

Please list the applicable courses, clinics, and/or training programs you have successfully completed that are relevant to criminal justice, post-conviction litigation, appeals, consumer protection, environmental law, evidence, criminal and/or civil procedure, litigation, etc.

07

Please describe your court appearance experience, highlighting any experience with post-conviction litigation, appeals, petitions for resentencing, and post-conviction relief.

Required Question