Legal Assistant - Prosecutor - COMOT IV

Description

To perform this position successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential function of the position satisfactorily. The requirements listed in this document are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Tippecanoe County provides reasonable accommodation to qualified employees and applicants with known disabilities who require accommodation to complete the application process or perform essential functions of the job, unless the accommodation would present an undue hardship.

Incumbent serves as Legal Assistant for the Supervising Deputy Prosecuting Attorney in the Tippecanoe County Prosecuting Attorney's office, responsible for providing clerical, legal, and technical support to the Deputy Prosecuting Attorneys and assisting the public.

DUTIES:

• Assists in supervising assigned part-time staff and interns, including periodically analyzing workload, providing orientation and training, planning, delegating, and controlling work assignments, assisting in evaluating performances and determining significant changes in job responsibilities, communicating and administering personnel programs and keeping supervisor informed of organizational developments.
• Drafts and maintains a wide variety of legal documents as assigned, such as discovery, subpoenas, plea agreements, jury instructions, petitions, orders, charging information, probable cause affidavits, letters, memoranda, motions to dismiss, petitions to revoke probation or bonds, forfeitures, adoptive forfeitures, search warrant returns, no contact orders, firearm seizures, retention hearings, victim sheets, and agreed orders for electronic filing in Prosecutor Criminal Management Systems for initial and subsequent e-filing.
• Prints copies of Diversion Review Court Calendar for court hearings, and reviews defendants' compliance regarding diversions and plea agreements, including checking costs and fees payment, verifying terms have been met. Prepares and e-files motions to dismiss or petitions to set bench trials as needed along with necessary proposed orders. Keeps DPAs informed as to non-compliance, logging pending diversions into PCMS, maintaining hard copies and keeping monthly tally of diversions by court. Prints rotating Bench Trial Court Calendar, retrieving information including officer, case number, and agency for each cause number, preparing subpoenas for service, and maintaining rotating schedule to update DPAs and police officers of changes. Informs DPAs of upcoming bench trials requiring additional preparation.
• Communicates with other attorneys as needed, including assisting assigned attorneys with various duties, such as case management or show proof hearings.
• Prepares charges for DPA review and approval. Scans and e-files supporting documents and necessary notices pertaining to Discovery. Tracks e-filed cases in Odyssey to obtain cause numbers, logging case in database. Cross references Indiana Department of Toxicology case log database to match with correct agency and case number. Assists with misdemeanor and Level 6 felony filings, including copying and preparing charges, redacting as needed, preparing PC affidavits, e-filing cases to PCMS, and entering case information into internal case log database.
• Scans and logs search warrants and returns, entering and logging no-file and cases returned to police agencies for further investigation and retrieving Bond Reduction Hearing Schedule from Magistrate Court to inform DPAs.
• Maintains high level of confidentiality of department information and records according to local and state requirements.
• Communicates regularly with law enforcement officers regarding cases to request additional information and arrange signing of documents as needed. Contacts law enforcement officers to provide arrest warrants, preparing documents to seal cases per request, entering reports, tracking filing of cases, documenting cause number in appropriate spreadsheets, and distributing cases to assigned DPA for trial preparation and review.
• Logs onto law enforcement Records Management System to print trespass warnings, crash reports, additional supplements, and other police reports ensuring appropriate supporting paperwork is filed within required deadlines. Accesses BMV portal to retrieve certified records for new infraction and misdemeanor traffic citations for DPA use.
• Utilizes assigned computer programs to establish a case specific timeline and monitors cases to ensure efficient movement through office.
• Checks RMS daily for status of prisoner arrests, which includes preparing criminal charges for DPA and affiant signatures and timely copying and filing in court. Works against rigorous deadline to effectively and efficiently process daily prisoner cases.
• Performs various clerical duties as assigned, including fielding calls, answering questions, tracking all incoming phone calls, entering new cases on internal case log database, and occasionally updating procedural manuals for preparing motions and pleadings. Retrieves and dispenses mail to and from County office building and courthouse daily.
• Facilitates traffic deferral program in the absence of Paralegal or as assigned, including attending court to assist DPAs with meeting defendants.
• Performs related duties as assigned.

Requirements

I. JOB REQUIREMENTS AND DIFFICULTY OF WORK:

• High school diploma or GED, and at least one (1) year applicable work experience required. Bachelor's degree preferred. Ability to speak Spanish preferred.
• Must be at least 18 years of age.
• Ability to comply with all employer and department hiring requirements, including passage of a drug test.
• Working knowledge of courtroom, department and standard office policies and procedures, and ability to apply such knowledge to a variety of interrelated processes, tasks and operations.
• Working knowledge of computer software and programs used by the department, and ability to obtain information from a computer using a variety of sources simultaneously, such as Windows-based and non-Windows-based software products.
• Working knowledge of standard English grammar, spelling and punctuation, and ability to prepare various reports according to department deadlines.
• Knowledge of basic filing system, and ability to create and maintain accurate and complete department files and records.
• Ability to assist in supervising assigned part-time staff and interns, including periodically analyzing workload, providing orientation and training, planning, delegating, and controlling work assignments, evaluating performances and determining significant changes in job responsibilities, communicating and administering personnel programs and keeping supervisor informed of organizational developments.
• Ability to properly operate a variety of standard office equipment, including computer, calculator, printer, multiline telephone, switchboard, fax machine, typewriter, and copier.
• Ability to work alone and with others in a team environment with minimum supervision, often under time pressure.
• Ability to provide public access to or maintain confidentiality of Department information and records according to state requirements.
• Ability to comply with all employer and Department policies and work rules, including, but not limited to, attendance, safety, drug-free workplace, and personal conduct.
• Ability to effectively communicate orally with co-workers, other County departments, attorneys, judicial officers, court staff, law enforcement personnel, local agencies, BMV, news media, and the public, including being sensitive to professional ethics, gender, cultural diversities, and disabilities.
• Ability to compare or observe similarities and differences in data, compile, collate or classify data, analyze and evaluate, and make determinations based on data analyses.
• Ability to understand, memorize, retain, and carry out written or oral instructions and present findings in oral or written form.
• Ability to work on several tasks at the same time and work rapidly for long periods, and complete assignments effectively amidst frequent distractions and interruptions.
• Ability to apply knowledge of people and/or locations, and plan and layout assigned work projects.
• Ability to perform arithmetic calculations.
• Ability to occasionally work extended, weekend, and/or evening hours, and occasionally travel out of town for training, but not overnight.
• Possession of a valid Indian driver's license and a demonstrated safe driving record.

II. RESPONSIBILITY:

Incumbent performs relatively standardized tasks according to department policies and procedures and applicable legal requirements, with priorities determined by attorneys' caseloads. Incumbent receives indirect supervision with work occasionally reviewed for appropriate adherence to policies and legal requirements. Errors in work are usually prevented through legally defined procedures and are detected through notification from other departments, agencies or the public. Undetected errors may result in loss of time for correction and/or inconvenience to other agencies or the public, and missed court imposed deadlines.

III. PERSONAL WORK RELATIONSHIPS:

Incumbent maintains frequent contact with co-workers, other County departments, attorneys, judicial officers, court staff, law enforcement personnel, local agencies, BMV, news media, and the public, for the purpose of exchanging and explaining information.

Incumbent reports directly to Chief Administrator and/or Prosecutor.

IV. PHYSICAL EFFORT AND WORK ENVIRONMENT:

Incumbent performs duties in a standard office environment, involving sitting/standing/walking for long periods, sitting and walking at will, lifting/carrying objects weighing under 25 pounds, keyboarding, reaching, close vision, handling/grasping/fingering objects, hearing communication, and speaking clearly. Incumbent occasionally works extended, weekend, and/or evening hours, and occasionally travels out of town for training, but not overnight.