General Statement of Duties:
The Chief Public Defender is responsible for providing and supervising the provision of legal representation to all persons statutorily and constitutionally entitled to such representation when appointed to do so by the District Court of the Fifth Judicial District of the State of Idaho in and for the County of Blaine and the Magistrate’s Division thereof. The Chief Public Defender shall also advise the Blaine County Board of Commissioners of the operations of the Public Defense department and shall also, in accordance with Idaho budgetary laws, policies and procedures, submit a proposed budget for the department for each ensuing fiscal year.
The Chief Public Defender is responsible for providing and supervising the provision of legal representation at all stages of every case in which the courts shall appoint the Blaine County Public Defender. Such representation shall be provided in accordance with the Idaho Rules of Professional Conduct and guided by the Standards for Public Defenders promulgated by the American Bar Association. Representation shall extend to all appeals, applications for a writ of habeas corpus and post-conviction remedies when appointed to do so by the court.
Other responsibilities of the Chief Public Defender include: providing guidance to staff regarding technical and legal issues; directing, preparing, and presenting the department’s proposed annual budget and monitoring approved budget expenditures; overall supervision of employees including evaluating work performance, counseling employees on programs, policies and procedures, and resolving complaints and taking disciplinary action when needed.
Primary Job Responsibilities:
- Responds to and serves the public with excellent customer service.
- Demonstrates and models a commitment to providing representation for indigent defendants within the safeguards of the Sixth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and Article I, Section 13 of the Idaho Constitution.
- Consults with defendants regarding post-sentencing options and motions, including but not limited to filing appeals and Idaho Criminal Rule 35 motions.
- Plans, implements, coordinates, directs, establishes priorities and evaluates public legal defense and representation functions and whether such representation complies with relevant standards and guidelines established for criminal defense work.
- Adopts and uses a database program that both allows for case management and document management, as well as reporting functions.
- Supervises, coordinates, advises, and oversees the work of staff attorneys and other staff of the department.
- Develops and implements legal and departmental policy and procedural guidelines, subject to general policy direction from the Board of County Commissioners and the State Public Defense Commission.
- Manages all human resource issues and ensures compliance with all applicable rules, laws, and regulations.
- Prepares and submits annual budgets, full cost accountings, administrative reports, and grant and contract documentation.
- Subject to the rules of confidentiality set forth in the applicable rules of professional conduct, maintains communications with the County Administrator, Board of County Commissioners, other department heads, and the legal community.
- Responsible for compilation and maintenance of departmental records, including, at a minimum, an annual report as required by Idaho Code §19-864.
- Ensures compliance by individual staff and the department as a whole, with relevant guidelines established by the County, the American Bar Association, the Idaho Rules of Professional Conduct, and the National Legal Aid and Defender Association regarding criminal defense.
- Performs other related duties as requested by the County Administrator, provided the performance of such duties would not violate the rules of professional conduct.
Job Specifications:
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below represent the minimum knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the primary job responsibilities.
Education and Work Experience:
- Juris Doctorate Degree from an accredited law school required.
- Passage of the Idaho State Bar Examination and subsequent license to practice law in the State of Idaho. Such license must be maintained at all times during employment as Chief Public Defender.
- Ten (10) years’ experience legal representation including not less than five (5) years’ experience defending criminal cases; experience as a public defender may be considered an attribute for appointment.
Language Skills:
- Must have the ability to communicate effectively orally and in writing; must have the ability to communicate by understanding and speaking the English language.
- Must have the ability to read, analyze and interpret legal statutes, periodicals, professional journals, technical procedures, and government regulations.
- Must have the ability to write reports, business correspondence, and complete accurate reports of performance assessments.
- Effectively present information to various civic groups, user groups, City Councils and the Board of County Commissioners, and respond to questions from various groups and the general public.
Mathematical Skills:
- Ability to work with mathematical concepts and apply them to practical situations including budgeting and other funding solutions.
Reasoning Ability:
- Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of situational variables where only limited standardization exists; Interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form.
Other Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
- Knowledge of common law, state and federal laws and court decisions affecting criminal law and civil law, including immigration consequences.
- Knowledge of Idaho statutes and Idaho Court rules relating to criminal and civil law.
- Knowledge of possible sources of information on property and/or persons involved in specific crimes.
- Familiarity with community and other resources available to help find current location of individuals.
- Knowledge of legal research methodology and the ability to conduct research on legal problems and prepare opinions.
- Skills in developing trust, confidence, and cooperation of persons.
- Knowledge of relevant guidelines and standards relating to the defense of indigent defendants.
- Ability to acquire a thorough knowledge of applicable case law and apply that knowledge to varied case related issues.
- Ability to interpret criminal laws, Public Defender’s department and court policy.
- Ability to effectively interview persons with a wide variety of personalities and socio-economic backgrounds and ascertain facts.
- Ability to analyze data and draw appropriate conclusions.
- Ability to document a case and effectively present it in court.
- Ability to plan, organize, and evaluate the work of subordinates.
- Familiarity with appellate procedural and substantive issues, including but not limited to creating an Appellate Record and waiver of rights.
- Familiarity with Federal law as it relates to Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996 (“AEDPA”) and capital cases.
- Must possess a valid Idaho Driver’s License.
Essential Physical Abilities:
- The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand, walk, sit, and drive; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms; talk and hear. The employee occasionally is required to climb, balance and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl and must frequently lift and/or carry up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.
Working Environment
- Work is performed in an office environment where the physical demands require sitting for extended periods of time; frequent use of computers and standard office equipment; lifting of office supplies (e.g. binders, case files, exhibits) and work under stress of deadlines.
Equal Opportunity Employer:
Blaine County is an Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE). Qualified applicants are considered for employment without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, disability, or veteran status.
This job description indicates, in general, the nature and levels of work, knowledge, skills, abilities and other essential functions (as covered under the Americans with Disabilities Act) expected of the incumbent. It is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities required. Employee may be asked to perform other duties as required.
Complete the Blaine County Application for Employment online at https://www.co.blaine.id.us/243/Human-Resources. All required sections must be completed and include a cover letter and resume. Please direct questions to Justin Highhouse, Blaine County Human Resources Generalist at [email protected].
Applications will be accepted through Friday, October 22, 2021, at 5 p.m.
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