Deputy Public Defender II

Review Date: 1/30/2026

A Deputy Public Defender II primarily practices in Superior Court, and plans, organizes, and coordinates the representation and defense of indigent clients in criminal cases for the County, with minimal supervision. Prepares and tries felony and misdemeanor cases.

The Deputy Public Defender II position is distinguished from the lower level Deputy Public Defender I classification as the position requires the applicant to meet the Washington State Indigent Defense Standards for defending Class B and C Felonies. It is distinguished from the higher level Deputy Public Defender III classification in that the applicant need not meet the Indigent Defense Standards for Class A felony representation, and is not required to take Class A felonies onto its caseload.

It is distinguished from both in that large portions of the work performed by the Deputy II is civil in nature, focusing on commitments and guardianship proceedings.

(Any one position may not include all duties listed, nor do the examples include all tasks that may be performed in positions of this class.)

(essential functions assigned to Deputy Public Defender II with a focus in Juvenile Dependency which may include, but not be limited to, any combination of the following)

• Manages a full Superior Court caseload, largely centered around juveniles appearing on the offender calendar, the dependency calendar, and the BECCA calendar. May also be called upon to handle additional cases for other attorneys on an intermittent basis.
• Prepares cases for trial, pre-trial, and post-trial hearings and/or plea bargains with the Deputy Prosecuting Attorney.
• Assists other attorneys in matters of trial strategy, tactics, and legal research and analysis.
• Handles miscellaneous court hearings, including, but not limited to: preliminary appearance calendars, arraignment calendars, non-compliance calendars, ability to substitute in Therapeutic Court hearings, Juvenile Court, and District Court when necessary.
• Maintains membership in good standing in the Washington State Bar Association and complies with all relevant standards for representing indigent defendants in accordance with the Washington State Supreme Court and Mason County.
• Reviews police reports, interviews witnesses, and works with the court, deputy prosecutors, and assistant attorneys general to resolve cases as appropriate.
• Performs a variety of legal office work, prepares appropriate legal pleadings, and does necessary research.
• Maintains accurate and complete statistical information to be used for future needs and projections.
• Appropriately utilizes non-attorney professional services.
• Provides back-up defense for Superior, and District Courts and is knowledgeable of the rules and procedures of the courts.
• Performs other duties as assigned by the Chief Public Defender.

(essential functions assigned to Deputy Public Defender II with a focus in Superior and Therapeutic Courts which may include, but not be limited to, any combination of the following)

• Manages a full Superior Court caseload, largely centered around therapeutic courts, Involuntary Treatment Court, and the Uniform Guardianship Act. May also be called upon to handle juvenile conflict cases, dependency child representation cases, or felony “B” and “C” cases.
• Prepares cases for trial, pre-trial, and post-trial hearings and/or plea bargains with the Deputy Prosecuting Attorney.
• Assists other attorneys in matters of trial strategy, tactics, and legal research and analysis.
• Handles miscellaneous court hearings, including, but not limited to: preliminary appearance calendars, arraignment calendars, non-compliance calendars, ability to substitute in Drug Court hearings, Juvenile Court, and District Court when necessary.
• Maintains membership in good standing in the Washington State Bar Association and complies with all relevant standards for representing indigent defendants in accordance with the Washington State Supreme Court and Mason County.
• Reviews police reports, interviews witnesses, and works with the court, deputy prosecutors,…