POSITION SUMMARY

Trial Teams are one the two primary categories of prosecution unit in the District Attorney's Office, and Trial Deputy Prosecutors are the first-line attorneys charged with completing the mission of those teams.  First and foremost, a Trial Deputy is in fact a trial attorney, and as such must possess superior analytical abilities, excellent communication skills, a thorough comprehension of the current state of the law, and a commanding persona in the courtroom.

Under the direct supervision of the First Assistant District Attorney, the Trial Deputy is responsible for the prosecution of all types of misdemeanor criminal offenses and handles all phases of those prosecutions from pre-arrest investigation through post-sentencing appeals.  The Trial Deputy evaluates the merits of each assigned case, taking into consideration the scarcity of resources, strength of the evidence, relative severity of the crime and its impact on the victim and the community, and special policy considerations as they apply to each case.  The Trial Deputy also acts as a consultant to law enforcement officials, probation officers and other service providers in the criminal justice system.

A Trial Deputy Prosecutor must be a licensed attorney, admitted to practice law in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENTS, DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

•  Screen assigned cases for arraignment, plea offer, pretrial litigation, trial presentation and post-trial litigation.
• Conduct pretrial and post-trial hearings, bench and jury trials, summary conviction appeals, preliminary hearings and current business sessions assigned to the team.
• Prepare plea offers and communicate them to defendants and their attorneys.
• Verify the Rule 600 status of each case.
• Evaluate the relative merits of each assigned case to assist the Senior Deputy in prioritizing each term's trial list in, taking into consideration: Rule 600; witness availability; relative severity of the crime; impact on the victim and community; special considerations of the arresting officer; strength of the evidence; credibility of the witnesses; and other special policy considerations as they apply to each case.
• Prepare pretrial, post-trial and appellate briefs and memoranda of law.
• Coordinate activities with law enforcement, the County Detective, support staff personnel, Case Manager and Victim/Witness Coordinator assigned to the team.
• Participate in Trial Team meetings and prepare minutes for review by Senior Management.
• Assist with the training of all new Special and Trial Deputy Prosecutors assigned to the team.
• Perform the duties of the Senior Deputy during temporary periods of absence or vacancy.

All supervisory personnel are responsible for holding themselves and their subordinates accountable for EEO, ADA, sexual harassment and Aids-in-the-Workplace policies adopted by the County of York.

Requirements are representative of minimum knowledge, skills and abilities.  To perform this job successfully, the incumbent will possess the ability or aptitude to perform each duty proficiently, and comply with County policies and procedures as outlined in the Employee Handbook and other published guidelines.  This job description will be periodically revised to reflect changes in the workload or workforce.