CAREER DESCRIPTION

THE OFFICE OF THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY:

The Office of the District Attorney represents the People of the State of California in all criminal and civil proceedings, serves the court and criminal justice system, and the Orange County Grand Jury. The mission of the Office of the Orange County District Attorney is to enhance public safety and welfare and to protect and respect crime victims and to create security in the community through the vigorous enforcement of criminal and civil laws in a just, honest, efficient and ethical manner. The Office consists of three major divisions: Legal, Investigative Bureau, and Administration.

THE OPPORTUNITY:

The Office of the District Attorney has an opportunity for an Investigative Assistant to provide investigative support to our Investigation Bureau and Investigators. Under general supervision, the Investigative Assistant performs a variety of non-sworn office and field investigative support. The Investigative Assistant is a journey-level class performing routine, low hazard, field and office assignments. Areas of assignment include, but are not limited to, Welfare Fraud/Public Assistance, Sexual Assault, Homicide, Narcotics Enforcement, Child Abduction, Consumer Fraud/Toxic Waste, Mental Health, Criminal and Juvenile cases, DNA and other assignments as required.

The successful candidate will have the opportunity to:

• Interview clients and witnesses, in and out of custody, regarding the circumstances and events by obtaining: the names and addresses of witnesses; information regarding the crime scene; the name of police departments and officers involved with the case.
• Conduct research to locate witnesses through a variety of sources, public and subpoenaed records, legal databases, and other related search methods.
• Gather, research, and analyze data and facts as needed to support investigations and the discovery process for attorney use.
• Prepare and serve personal subpoenas to non-hostile witnesses, expert witnesses, and to public institutions for staff or records; drive vehicle to various field locations.
• Act as liaison between clients, witnesses, victims and county staff. Duties could include: transporting to/from court and various court ordered programs, arranging lodging, collecting witness fees, persuading witnesses to cooperate, informing witnesses and victims of case disposition, changes in appearance date, and delivering clothing to the jail.
• Participate in low hazard surveillance.
• Prepare reports on activities relevant to investigation, reports may include diagrams, jury instructions, and other exhibits and presentation material as needed.
• May be called to testify in Court regarding the "due diligence" attempts to locate/serve witnesses, compliance with the discovery process and chain of evidence.
• Conduct field and office interviews to locate witnesses, research public records to locate witnesses.
• Conduct limited interviews or obtain other evidence required for investigation and prosecution.
• Collect and preserve subpoenaed evidence.
• Perform field service of civil process and criminal and civil subpoenas.
• Fingerprint, photograph, and collect and track DNA samples from subjects in and out of custody.
• Work with multiple DNA Databases.
• Understand the use of DNA Technology to solve crimes.
• Evaluate DNA Summary Reports from Crime Laboratories.
• Obtain and submit DNA Reference Swabs.

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS:

The District Attorney is seeking an exceptional individual who can work without direct supervision, with frequent interruptions, and with definitive timelines, who possess the following competencies:

Technical Knowledge

• Thorough knowledge of research methods and resources for locating or identifying individuals, checking financial assets and other property, and interviewing techniques.
• General knowledge of criminal law and methods.
• Ability to understand and apply laws, rules, and regulations applicable to the activities in the Office of the District Attorney.
• Knowledge of gathering and analyzing facts and evidence.
• Ability to locate witnesses and other persons or data.
• Thorough understanding of the use of DNA technology to solve crimes including but not limited to the utilization of DNA and other law enforcement databases; such as, Cold Hit Outcome Project (CHOP), Taskforce Review Aimed at Catching Killers, Rapist, and Sexual Offenders (TracKRs), Samples Collected Index Location, Activity, & Status (SciLas), Work Request and Case Status (WRCS), Regional Information Sharing Systems (RISS), and Western States Information Network (WSIN).
• Possess an advanced understanding of crime scene evidence collection; DNA triage; evidence submission procedures; forensic DNA analysis; DNA database searching; and DNA hit and confirmation procedures including the collection of DNA reference swabs.
• Possess the capacity of utilizing the WRCS system to submit DNA analysis requests to Orange County Crime Lab.
• Have an understanding of the statutes and laws that govern the collection, retention, and searching of law enforcement DNA databases on federal, state, and local levels.

Special Requirements

• Willing to work a modified work schedule based on assignment.
• Ability to adapt to changing work environment, with varying levels of stress.

Effective Communication Skills

• Establish rapport with and gain cooperation of people from varying backgrounds.
• Persuade and obtain cooperation from reluctant witnesses.
• Demonstrated ability to write and prepare clear and concise summaries.
• Speak clearly and testify in court regarding the facts of the case.
• Ability to work well independently and in a team environment.
• Work effectively with a variety of government agencies.
• Ability to communicate with the public as well as all levels of Supervisory and Executive staff.

Judgment

• Draw conclusions and make appropriate decisions.
• Ability to make immediate decisions.

Accountability & Dependability

• Take personal responsibility for the quality and timeliness of work, and achieve results with little oversight.
• Follow instructions, policies, and procedures.
• Meet productivity standards, deadlines, and work schedules.
• Stay focused on tasks in spite of distractions and interruptions.
• Balance quality of work with meeting deadlines.

Ethics & Integrity

• Earn others' trust and respect through consistent honesty and professionalism in all interactions.
• Maintain confidentiality.
• Avoid situations and actions considered inappropriate or which present a conflict of interest
• Adhere to a set of core values that are represented in decisions and actions.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

BILINGUAL COMPENSATION:

Additional compensation up to 70 cents ($0.70) per hour may be available for candidates selected to work in positions requiring the following bilingual skills:

• Spanish/English: Ability to speak, read, write, and understand fluent Spanish and English.
• Vietnamese/English: Ability to speak, write, and understand fluent Vietnamese and English.

RECRUITMENT PROCEDURE:

The Office of the District Attorney Human Resources screens all applications to identify the qualified candidates. After the initial screening, qualified candidates will be referred to the next step and notified of all further recruitment steps applicable to their status in the competition. After all assessments have been completed, the District Attorney's Human Resources will establish an eligible list of qualified candidates.

The recruitment procedure will consist of the following assessment, which will require a few weeks to complete.

Application Appraisal Panel (Refer/Non-Refer): Application materials will be rated by a panel of job knowledge experts for those qualifications most needed to perform the duties of the job. The more qualified candidates will be referred to the next step. This is a competitive process; therefore, be thorough in your responses.

Structured Oral Interview (SOI): (Weighted 100%) Candidates will be interviewed and rated by a panel of job knowledge experts. Each candidate's rating will be based on responses to a series of structured questions designed to elicit the candidate's qualifications for the job.

Based on the Department's needs, the recruitment procedure listed above may be modified. All candidates will be notified of any change(s) in the recruitment procedure.

All candidates, including current District Attorney employees, considered for the position will be required to pass a background investigation to the satisfaction of the District Attorney. The information gathered in the course of a background investigation is deemed confidential and will not be disclosed to the applicant unless legally mandated by statute to do so.

HOW TO APPLY:

• Only online applications will be accepted.
• Applicants are required to answer the supplemental questions in addition to the online application.
• Submit your online application and supplemental questionnaire responses by the application closing date.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

BACKGROUND:

EMAIL NOTIFICATION:

EEO INFORMATION

Non-Management Benefits
In addition to the County's standard suite of benefits, such as a variety of health plan options, annual leave and paid holidays-we also offer an excellent array of benefits such as a Health Care Reimbursement Account, 457 Defined Contribution Plan and Annual Education and Professional Reimbursement. Employees are provided a Retirement Plan through the Orange County Employees Retirement System (OCERS).

Please go to the following link to find out more about Defined Benefit Pensions and OCERS Plan Types/Benefits.
http://www.ocers.org/active-member-information

Click here for information about benefits offered to County of Orange employees.