Assistant Chief of Homicide

The Assistant Chief of the Homicide Unit is a skilled attorney with extensive knowledge and experience in the practice of criminal law, specifically in homicide, special defense, and other types of legally complex or high-profile matters. Responsibilities include representing clients in court during preliminary hearings, pretrial motions, jury trials, and related hearings, and the filing of post-sentence motions. Further responsibilities include conducting legal research, filing pretrial and trial motions, and providing legal advice to clients on their rights, court process, and interests. This is an attorney assistant manager position requiring the Assistant Chief to supervise, support, train, and work in cooperation with the Homicide Chief, Assistant Public Defenders, and non-attorney staff on a case-by-case basis. The successful candidate must work with our investigative and social services units and internal and external experts to form the best defense strategy to ensure a fair trial and the best possible outcome for the client.

Essential Functions and Accountabilities
* Assist the Homicide Chief in litigating capital, non-capital, and other types of legally complex and/or high-profile cases as first or second chair.
* Reviewing case files, interviewing clients and other pertinent witnesses.
* Making in-depth referrals to the investigations and social services units.
* Representation at preliminary hearings, pre-trial conferences, trials. provides preparation of post-sentence motions, briefs; attends sentencing hearings; prepares and handles all post-sentence hearings.
* Representation at other types of related hearings including probation/parole violation hearings, juvenile, state parole, mental health, extradition, indirect criminal contempt, domestic contempt, and other miscellaneous pretrial hearings.
* Perform additional duties as specified by the Chief Public Defender.

Education and Credentials
* Juris doctorate from an ABA accredited law school.
* Active bar license in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
* Capital Qualification pursuant to Pa. Rule of Criminal Procedure 801 strongly considered but not required.

Experience and Skills
* Minimum of five years of criminal litigation experience.
* Must have served as lead or co-counsel in at least 6 significant cases given to the jury for deliberations. A 'significant case' for purposes of this rule is one that charges murder, manslaughter, vehicular homicide, or a felony for which the maximum penalty is 10 or more years.
* Experience in using Office 365.
* Must be willing to accept both non-capital and capital cases.
* Fluency in Spanish preferred but not required.

Work Environment and Physical Requirements
* Office and Court environment with frequent trips to jails, detention centers, State Correctional Institutions, placements, and treatment facilities.
* Prolonged sitting, standing, walking in an office and court environment
* Significant and repeated use of a keyboard.
* Ability to travel to other in and out of County locations to meet with clients, observe evidence, or complete tasks related to client representation

An Employee who can show proof of general professional proficiency via a certification in the Spanish language will be utilized when needed and will be given a salary increase of 5%.