Description:
General Summary:Prepares for and takes to trial assigned cases; performs new case intake and screening, including determining type of indictment, gathering evidence, conferring with witnesses and law enforcement officials, and preparing subpoenas; requests assistance from investigators assigned to cases; prepares for and attends arraignments, grand juries, pre trial hearings, and revocation hearings; makes plea bargain offers to defendants; and prepares paperwork required for court proceedings. This is a position that periodically rotates through all office divisions, including trial court, intake, appellate and juvenile.
Qualifications:
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
Essential Duties:
- Include the following. Other duties may be assigned.
- Prepares and presents assigned cases to Grand Jury for indictment;
- Prosecutes felony criminal cases before juries and District Courts, including preparation of instructions and papers;
- Handles all pretrial matters in cases, including appearing at all arraignments for assigned cases, prosecuting applications for denial or reduction of bail, filing witness list for trials, filing all notices required by law, negotiating plea bargain offers with the defense attorney, providing defense attorneys with all discovery required by law, and prosecuting all examining trials and applications for dismissal;
- Answers all pretrial motions, motions to suppress, and challenges to the constitutionality of statutes under which the defendant is prosecuted;
- Leads case investigations, including reviewing police reports and statements of witnesses, determining if an offense was committed and the grade of the offense, determining needs for further investigation, and making requests to investigator;
- Prepares assigned cases for bench or jury trial, including drafting motions, preparing writs, drafting witness questions, preparing charts, diagrams, and exhibits for the trial of the case, and preparing opening and closing statements;
- Performs investigative functions, including locating and interviewing victims and essential witnesses, preparing the witnesses to testify, and obtaining information by subpoenas and warrants;
- Performs legal research regarding the offense and issues surrounding a case, including preparing memoranda for the court on legal issues that arise in the course of a trial;
- Performs responsibilities related to Grand Jury, including preparing indictments, presenting cases, meeting Grand Jury's requests for further investigation or witnesses' testimony, and processing the judgments;
- Prepares orders for the trial court on pretrial matters, such as suggested findings of fact and conclusions of law;
- Requests subpoenas for witnesses, records, and evidence for Grand Juries, pretrial hearings, and trials;
- Makes applications for bench warrants for witnesses incarcerated out of the county;
- Performs post trial procedures, such as answering motions for new trial, arguing cases on a motion for new trial, and interviewing jurors on issues of jury misconduct;
- Researches and writes appellate briefs;
- Reviews probation revocation issues with Adult Probation office staff; and
- Reviews docket with court staff.
- Other Duties as assigned.
Education:
- Required: Requires juris doctor degree, or any equivalent combination of education and experience which provides the required knowledge, skills, and abilities.
Preferred:
Experience:
- Required: Requires juris doctor degree, or any equivalent combination of education and experience which provides the required knowledge, skills, and abilities.
Preferred:
Certificates, Licenses, Registrations:
- Required: State of Texas law license.
Preferred:
Physical Demands:
- Typical: 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 sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms; and talk and hear. The employee frequently is required to stand and walk. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move objects weighing up to 20 pounds, such as files, stacks of records, or other similar objects. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, and ability to adjust focus.
Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities:
- Typical: Criminal law and procedure; constitutional law; prosecution of felony criminal cases; legal research and writing; persuasive speaking techniques; and personal computers.
- Perform legal research and writing; instruct others in the law and facts of a case; present facts of a case clearly to judges and juries; make convincing oral arguments; operate computers, especially to perform word processing functions; organize many details of cases; communicate effectively, both in person and over the phone; and maintain effective working relationships with other prosecutors, defense attorneys, and judges.
