Chief Public Defender

Overview

Reporting to the Board of Commissioners, this position plans, organizes, and directs the activities and staff of the Public Defender’s Office. Uses considerable independent discretion at all times as the County Public Defender to ensure constitutional guarantees are upheld, rights are protected, and due process is implemented fairly, equally, and consistently. The Public Defender is responsible for staffing, training, supervising, counseling, and discipline for the office.

The role directs, develops, and implements policies and procedures, prepares the annual budget, and ensures compliance with the Michigan Rules of Professional Conduct.

• Develops necessary policies and procedures to attain and maintain standards of indigent defense as proposed by the Michigan Indigent Defense Commission and approved by the Michigan Supreme Court. Also ensure that the Public Defender’s Office conforms to the Michigan Rules of Professional Conduct.
• Develops and implements long- and short-term goals, objectives, and work standards for the Office to include the establishment and direction of programs to maximize operational effectiveness and cost efficiencies; directs the preparation and administration of the Department’s budget; makes budget and program presentations to the Board of Commissioners; monitors expenditures to ensure that they are within budget guidelines.
• Plans, organizes, assigns, directs, reviews, and evaluates the work of public defender attorneys and support staff; selects staff personnel and provides for their training, professional development; counsels and disciplines as necessary; interprets laws and regulations and County policies for subordinates; confers with subordinate supervisors and other department staff to monitor activities; coordinates work effort and resolves problems and issues unique to the public defender attorney staff;
  
  provides professional assistance to staff.
• Reviews or supervises the review of criminal investigations to determine adequacy of evidence to justify searches, seizures and the authorization of charges by the prosecution; directs public defender attorneys in gathering and analyzing case evidence, preparing arguments, filing necessary documents, presenting cases in court; assigns cases to attorneys, reviews progress, and provides technical assistance and guidance; directs the maintenance of accurate legal materials, reports, correspondence and other written materials;
  
  substitutes for public defender attorneys as necessary.
• Approves pre-trial investigations, motions, polygraph examinations and expert witnesses while directing the defense of all criminal cases including complex or sensitive cases; may appear in court to substitute personally as needed.
• Represents the County at meetings with local, state and federal officials; may speak before groups and the media on matters related to the Public Defender’s office; acts as media contact for Public Defender’s Office.
• Keeps informed of legal precedents and relevant legislation by reading professional journals, court rulings, attending meetings, conferences and CLE opportunities. Maintains conformity with the Michigan Rules of Professional Conduct.

• Performs other duties as assigned.
• Must adhere to departmental standards in regard to HIPAA and other privacy issues.
• During a public health emergency, the employee may be required to perform duties similar to, but not limited, to those in his or her job description.

Juris Doctorate degree with a Certificate of Admittance to the State Bar of Michigan.

A minimum of ten (10) years of experience in the practice of criminal defense, including a minimum of five (5) years of experience in the administration of legal services.

• None

• This position works in an indoor environment with no planned exposure to prominent lights, noises, odors, temperatures or weather conditions.
• This position is exposed to individuals in crisis who may suffer from mental or emotional illness, have violent tendencies or be unconcerned with their personal safety and hygiene.
• This position requires travel for meetings and…