Assistant Public Defender- Misdemeanors

Deputy Public Defender – MisdemeanorsUnder the direction of the Chief Public Defender, the Deputy Public Defender provides criminal defense to indigent defendants in the courts of Allen County, Indiana as mandated by the U.S. Constitution, the Indiana Constitution and Indiana state law. This position is covered under the Circuit Court Employee Handbook. This is an employee-at-will position.ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:Works directly with defendant and maintains regular contact with clients through correspondence, phone calls, and in person meetings, while upholding ethical duties of loyalty and confidentiality.Responsible for representing defendants during criminal investigative proceedings.Represents defendants in all court appearances, including pretrial discovery, withdraw pleas, and suppression notices.Works with support staff to provide effective and high quality legal representation to accused indigent people facing felony or misdemeanor charges, juvenile adjudication, and mental health commitments.Attends post-trial sentencing hearings for clients who negotiate plea bargains or are found guilty in trial.Files appeals when errors are found in court proceedings which prevented the defendant from having a fair trial.Performs all other duties as assigned.REQUIREMENTS:Graduation from an ABA accredited school of lawValid Indiana license to practice lawExcellent written and communication skillsAbility to handle multiple priorities and a large volume of workDIFFICULTY OF WORK:The Deputy Public Defender performs work that consists of many complex and significant variables when providing criminal defense to indigent defendants. Extensive judgement and adaptation is required to provide effective and high quality legal representation.RESPONSIBILITY:The Deputy Public Defender performs work that is extensive and consequential while representing defendants. The Deputy Public Defender works with little to no supervision and is responsible for providing effective and high quality legal representation to all assigned defendants.PERSONAL WORK RELATIONSHIPS:The Deputy Public Defender maintains frequent communication with defendants, judges, prosecutors, probation, law enforcement, investigators and Public Defender office staff.WORKING CONDITIONS:The Deputy Public Defender performs work in a courtroom and office type setting. Very frequent typing, attention to detail, detailed inspection and transcription/proofreading exists.SUPERVISION:NoneHOURS:Hours vary; 37.5 hours