Deputy District Attorney I/II (SIGN-ON BONUS)

Deputy District Attorney I/II (SIGN-ON BONUS)

Salary

$96,720.00 - $158,196.00 Annually

Location

County of Monterey, CA

Job Type

Regular Full-Time

Job Number

26/39D11/03MP

Department

District Attorney

Opening Date

03/16/2026

Closing Date

Continuous

• Description
• Benefits
• Questions

Position Description

Continuous Recruitment

Exam #: 26/39D11/03MP

Looking for a competitive compensation package at an organization that values integrity, ethics, and work-life balance in a stunning location?

Welcome to the County of Monterey!

At the County of Monterey, we're proud to be the employer of choice, dedicated to attracting, developing, and retaining a talented and committed workforce. Join us and make a difference while enjoying life in paradise.

The County of Monterey is committed to honoring the service and sacrifice of veterans and eligible military spouses and awards veterans' preference points for this recruitment. To learn more about the eligibility requirements and the process, be sure to read the Hiring Preference for Veterans and Eligible Military Spouses section located towards the end of this job flier.

Join the Monterey County District Attorneys Office: Seek justice, promote public safety, and make a difference.

The Monterey County District Attorneys Office is looking for intelligent, ethical, and public-service minded attorneys who are passionate about seeking justice and ensuring public safety for the people of Monterey County and the State of California.

We are currently recruiting for entry-level Deputy District Attorney / Prosecutor I & II positions within our Criminal Division. Candidates who are awaiting their California Bar Examination results are highly encouraged to apply. Qualified candidates may be offered a paid certified post-bar position even before receiving their exam results. All applicants pending bar results will need to apply for post-bar certification with the State Bar.

Our office is headquartered at the Salinas Courthouse, with a satellite office in Monterey. The team consists of 53 prosecutors, with criminal prosecutors based in Salinas, and consumer and environmental protection prosecutors in Monterey. As an approved MCLE provider, we offer regular in-house trainings to support your professional development.

The Criminal Division is organized into the following units: Auto Insurance Fraud, Board of Parole Hearings, Civil Commitments, Disability & Healthcare Insurance Fraud, Driving Under the Influence, Filing, Gangs, General Felonies, Juvenile, Misdemeanors, Prison Crimes, Sexual Assault and Child Abuse, Truancy, Welfare Fraud, Workers' Compensation Insurance Fraud, and Writs and Appeals.

The Civil Division handles cases in the following areas: Consumer Protection, Environmental Crimes, Cannabis Enforcement, Real Estate Fraud, Asset Forfeiture, and Weapon Forfeiture.

If you're looking to make an impact in a dynamic and supportive environment, we encourage you to apply and join our dedicated team!

DEPUTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY / PROSECUTOR I: (Salary: $8,060 - $11,008 Monthly)

This is the entry and first working level in the career series. Incumbents are required to be members of the California State Bar upon appointment but require no previous legal experience. Incumbents hired at this level work under the direction of more experienced prosecutors and are initially assigned to a criminal trial department handling misdemeanor prosecutions.

DEPUTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY / PROSECUTOR II: (Salary: $9,653 - $13,183 Monthly)

This is the second level in the career series. Incumbents at this level are expected to independently manage a routine caseload.

The District Attorneys Office may offer up to a $10,000 signing bonus to candidates hired into a regular full-time position for these classifications from this recruitment.

This classification is part of a flexible series. Incumbents appointed at the lower level of the career series may be promoted up to any higher level of the career series subject to their meeting the employment standards for the higher class and a recommendation for their promotion by the appointing authority.

The Eligible List established by this recruitment may be used to fill current and future vacancies on a regular full-time, part-time, or temporary basis.

Examples of Duties

• Prepares criminal and civil cases for pre-trial negotiations, hearings, and potential plea bargains.

• Attends other scheduled court hearings, such as arraignments, pretrial hearings and motions, sentencings, and probation revocation.

• Interviews and prepares victims, police officers and witnesses prior to court proceedings.

• Researches questions of law and evidence and applies statutory and decisional case law, along with such other legal treaties as may be required in the preparation of cases for hearing in court.

• Prepares legal briefs, motions, memorandums of points and authorities, documents, and pleadings.

• Organizes facts and legal arguments and marshals; witnesses and evidence in preparation for trial and other court proceedings; determines nature of follow-up investigations needed for trial.

• Prepares and prosecutes criminal and civil cases for court and/or jury trial which includes: presenting opening statements, questioning, and cross-examining witnesses, introducing evidence, making relevant objections, arguing points of law, and presenting closing arguments.

• May be assigned as a Disaster Service Worker as required.

To view the complete job description, please visit the Monterey County HR website or click on either of the following links: DEPUTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY I - DEPUTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY II

THE SUCCESSFUL CANDIDATE

Will have a proven track record demonstrating the following knowledge, skills and abilities:

DEPUTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY I:

A thorough knowledge of:

• The ethical standards that apply to prosecutors and attorneys.

Some knowledge of:

• The duties, responsibilities, powers and limitations of the Office of the District Attorney.
• The methods of legal research and writing.
• The rules of evidence.
• The principals of criminal and civil law, criminal procedure, and trial practice.
• Statutory, constitutional and decisional criminal laws of the State of California.

DEPUTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY II:

A thorough knowledge of:

• The ethical standards that apply to prosecutors and attorneys.

A working knowledge of:

• The duties, responsibilities, powers and limitations of the Office of the District Attorney.
• The methods of legal research and writing. The rules of evidence.
• The rules of evidence.
• The principals of criminal and civil law, criminal procedure, and trial practice.
• Statutory, constitutional and decisional criminal laws of the State of California.

DEPUTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY I:

Skills and ability to:

• Independently manage heavy caseloads.
• Conduct legal research.
• Draft basic motions.
• Prepare cohesive arguments to present to a judge and/or jury.
• Question and cross-examine witnesses in a courtroom.
• Organize and properly present items of evidence.
• Present persuasive arguments as an advocate in a clear and reasoned manner.
• Negotiate with defense attorneys regarding the disposition of charges under close supervision.
• Review search warrants with close supervision, after receiving the appropriate training.
• If assigned to the Civil Unit, collaborate with other prosecutors within the state on multi-jurisdictional consumer and environmental enforcement actions.
• Establish and maintain cooperative relationships with team members, justice partners, and all those contacted in the course of work.
• Take direction and implement feedback from one's supervisor.

DEPUTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY II:

Skills and ability to:

• Independently manage heavy caseloads.
• Conduct legal research.
• Draft motions.
• Prepare cohesive arguments to present to a judge and/or jury.
• Question and cross-examine witnesses in a courtroom.
• Organize and properly present items of evidence.
• Present persuasive arguments as an advocate in a clear and reasoned manner.
• Negotiate with defense attorneys regarding the disposition of charges under general supervision.
• Review search warrants with general supervision.
• Establish and maintain cooperative relationships with team members, justice partners, and all those contacted in the course of work.
• Take direction and implement feedback from one's supervisor.
• Prepare cases from issuance to sentencing.
• Prepare and present preliminary hearings.
• Handle juvenile proceedings.
• If assigned to the Civil Unit, collaborate with other prosecutors within the state on complex multijurisdictional consumer and environmental enforcement actions.

Additional Information

The required conditions of employment include but are not limited to the following:

• Pursuant to Section 6060 of the Business and Professions code, current, valid membership in the California state Bar is required by date of hire.
• Successfully complete a background investigation.
• Respond to law enforcement requests for assistance, including during after-hours warrant/on-call duty.
• Work at any location staffed by the District Attorney's Office upon the direction of the District Attorney.
• Possess a valid California Class "C" driver's license with a satisfactory driving record or be able to provide suitable transportation that is approved by the appointing authority.
• Be available to work a flexible schedule, including evenings, weekends, holidays, and during times of disaster and/or emergency; travel out of County to attend meetings.

BENEFITS

Monterey County offers an excellent benefits package. To view the Unit E Benefit Summary Sheet, please visit the County of Monterey HR website or click on the following link: Unit E Benefit Summary Sheet

This information is not legally binding, nor does it serve as a contract. The benefits listed in the Monterey County Personnel Policies and Practices Resolution, or Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) prevail over this listing.

NOTES

As a condition of employment, prospective employees may be required to submit to a background review which may include a review of information concerning present and/or prior employment, driving record, and record of any criminal convictions. Employment is contingent upon acceptable documentation verifying identity and authorization for employment in the U.S.; a list of acceptable documents is available on the USCIS Form I-9. If you are hired into this classification in a temporary position, your rate of pay will be hourly, and you will not be eligible for the benefits listed in the summary.

Application and Selection Procedures

Apply On-Line at https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/montereycounty

or

Hard copy applications may be obtained from and submitted during normal business hours, Monday - Friday, 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM by contacting:

Monterey County District Attorneys Office

Attn: Maria P. Padilla, Management Analyst II

142 W. Alisal Street, Suite A,

Salinas, CA 93901

Email: padillam6@countyofmonterey.gov | Phone: (831) 759-6634

The selection process is tentative, and applicants will be notified if changes are made. To assess applicants possession of required qualifications, the examination process may include an oral examination, pre-examination exercises, performance examination, and/or written examination. The competitive examination process includes submittal of required application materials. A complete application package will include:

• A completed County of Monterey Employment Application
• Responses to the Supplemental Questions

Applicants who fail to provide all required materials by the final filing deadline will not be considered. Resumes, cover letters, letters of interest, and other correspondence will not be accepted as a substitute for required application materials. All required application materials will be competitively evaluated. Those applicants that are determined to be the most appropriately qualified will be invited to participate further in the selection process.

HIRING PREFERENCE FOR VETERANS AND ELIGIBLE MILITARY SPOUSES

The County of Monterey is committed to honoring the service and sacrifice of veterans and eligible military spouses (i.e., surviving spouses of veterans, spouses of totally disabled veterans, and spouses of active-duty service members) and awards veterans' preference points for this recruitment. To obtain a Veterans and Eligible Military Spouse Preference Application, please visit the Human Resources website or click on the following link: Click Here to View the Veterans and Eligible Military Spouse Preference Application

To apply for veterans' preference points, veterans or eligible military spouses must complete and email a Veterans and Eligible Military Spouse Preference Application with supporting documentation of their eligibility within 5 business days of submitting your job application to VeteransPreferencePoints@countyofmonterey.gov

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY AND REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION

The County of Monterey is a drug-free workplace and an equal opportunity employer. The County seeks candidates who can make contributions in an environment of cultural and ethnic diversity. Monterey County is committed to providing access, equal opportunity, and reasonable accommodation for individuals with disabilities in employment, its services, programs, and activities. To request reasonable accommodation, contact Stephanie Ahumada, Human Resources Analyst II, via email at ahumadas@countyofmonterey.gov or via phone at (831) 755-5238.

http://www.co.monterey.ca.us/government/departments-a-h/human-resources/human-resources/benefits/benefit-summary-sheet

01

Please answer the following questions. Completion of the following supplemental questions is REQUIRED and is an integral part of the evaluation process. Your responses to the questions will be reviewed and scored in a Qualifications Appraisal evaluation process based on pre-determined rating criteria. Your answers should be as complete as possible, as this information will be critical in the competitive assessment to identify those candidates to be invited to continue in the examination process. A response of "see resume" or "see application" will deem your responses to the supplemental questions as incomplete. Note: All application materials submitted will be reviewed along with your supplemental questions and County of Monterey application.

• I have read and understand these instructions.

02

Indicate your status pertaining to the California State Bar.

• I am a member of the California State Bar.
• I have taken the California State Bar exam and am awaiting results.
• I am currently licensed to practice law in another state or jurisdiction, and I have registered as an attorney applicant with the California State Bar.
• I have not taken the California State Bar exam, and I do not plan on taking it, nor am I a member of the California State Bar.
• Other.

03

If you are a member of the CA State Bar, list your CA State Bar license number and expiration date. If you do not have a CA State Bar license, type "N/A". If you answered "Other" on question #2, please explain.

04

Have you ever been the subject of any disciplinary action regarding your ability to practice law, including but not limited to any State or Federal Bar Discipline? If so, please explain. If not, type "N/A"?

05

Have you been convicted of any crime? If so, please provide a brief description of the incident. Do not include infractions. This information will be reviewed for job relatedness. Please list all convictions except: those which have been sealed, expunged or statutorily eradicated, or pursuant to Labor Code 432.8, any convictions of marijuana-related offenses more than two years old. If none, type "N/A".

06

Please describe your experience, education, and/or training that demonstrates your knowledge, skill, and ability in negotiating resolutions of civil cases, including the number of cases you've handled, the general type of cases, and your role.

07

Please describe your experience, education, and/or training that demonstrates your knowledge, skill, and ability in conducting court trials and jury trials. Please provide the number of trials you have conducted and describe the types of cases, the severity (felony/misdemeanor), and the outcome.

08

Please describe your experience, education, and/or training that demonstrates your knowledge, skill, and ability in litigating hearings. Please provide an approximate number of hearings that you have litigated and describe the types of hearings and outcome.

09

Please describe your experience, education, and/or training that demonstrates your knowledge, skill, and ability in preparing cohesive arguments to present to a judge and/or jury; questioning and cross-examining witnesses in a courtroom; organizing and properly presenting items of evidence; and presenting persuasive arguments as an advocate in a clear and reasoned manner.

10

What motivates you to pursue or continue a career as a Deputy District Attorney?

Required Question

Employer County of Monterey