Chief Prosecutor - Violent Crimes Unit

Exempt; full-time; 40 hours worked; Monday - Friday; 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.; full benefits

This professional supervisory position is responsible for overseeing the operations and personnel in the Violent Crime Unit of the State’s Attorney’s Office. This role manages and assigns Violent Crime prosecutions and investigations in conjunction with State, Local, and Federal law enforcement agencies. Reviews and advises law enforcement on search warrants and arrest decisions in complex cases. Serves as a State’s Attorney representative and coordinates and communicates with the public and other government divisions on Violence Crime issues and processes. Ensures effective and proper management of cases and investigations from inception through disposition. Responsible for overseeing criminal homicide investigations and prosecutions. Supervision is given to the Violent Crime Unit staff; supervision is received from the Deputy State’s Attorney. 

The State’s Attorney’s Office strives to ensure equal opportunities and access for its workforce, applicants, and community members.  If you are a person who wants to make a difference, give back to your community, and be a voice for residents, apply to the State’s Attorney’s Office today.

TOTAL COMPENSATION PACKAGE:
Frederick County offers an extensive compensation package to reflect how highly we value our employees. The following is what you can expect in your first year as a full-time benefited Frederick County Government employee.

• 11 days of Vacation leave with increase after 2 years of employment
• 15 days of Sick leave with unlimited annual carryover
• 11 paid holidays, plus 2 additional floating holidays
• Day 1 coverage of comprehensive Medical Insurance Plan options to include generous County Health Savings Account (HSA) contribution (if enrolled in the high-deductible plan). This is part of a full range of benefits including Dental, Vision, and Flexible Spending
• Employee Health Center with no or low-cost primary and urgent care
• 100% County paid 2x annual salary Group Term Life Insurance and Accidental Death & Dismemberment (AD&D) benefit
• County and Employee funded Defined Benefit Pension Plan
  • Vesting after 5 years of service
  • Additional service credit for eligible previous public service, military service, etc.
• Work/Life balance programs include: Employee Assistance Program and Employee Wellness Program
• Generous Tuition Reimbursement Program
• Other employee-paid benefits such as Deferred Compensation Plan, Legal Resources, Supplemental Life Insurance, Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital Indemnity Insurance, Lifetime Benefit with Long Term Care plan.

For more information, visit our benefits page on the Frederick County Government job opportunities webpage.

• Represent the State in matters before the District and Circuit Court
• Prosecute felony cases, as assigned, from pre-charging analysis through to post conviction
• Advise and be available on call for law enforcement 24/7
• Represent the State before the grand jury
• Prosecute complex cases involving a multitude of Federal, State, and Local law enforcement agencies and various expert witnesses
• Prosecute homicide cases
• Regularly consult with forensic experts in the fields of ballistics, post-mortem analysis, toxicology, drug analysis, cellphone analysis, cell-site location analysis, DNA analysis, GSR analysis, and fingerprint analysis
• Coordinate with the U.S. Attorney’s Office Violent Crime Division in cases involving a federal nexus
• Provide legal analysis and counsel to specialized violent crime detectives
• Ensure forensic testing timelines are met in all violent crime cases assigned to the Unit
• Review and approve search warrants
• Assign cases for prosecution
• Principal advisor to the State’s Attorney and Executive Team on criminal homicide investigations and prosecutions
• Supervise the Violent Crimes Unit and participate as an effective member of the Leadership Team
• Provide training to police agencies as requested
• Participate in other miscellaneous court proceedings
• Perform other duties as assigned

The qualifications/requirements, knowledge/skills/abilities and physical requirements or working conditions described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.  

• Graduation from an accredited law school
• Admission to the Maryland Bar (Licensed Attorney in Maryland)
• Minimum 7 years of work experience in trial preparation of criminal court documents
• Minimum 2 years of work experience supervising or directing the work of other attorneys

• Extensive knowledge of legal principles and procedures
• Skilled in effective verbal and written communication
• Skilled in legal research and ability to learn/utilize digital case files and Microsoft Office suite
• Skilled in conflict resolution and critical thinking
• Ability to effectively evaluate and try a case
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships
• Ability to lead others
• Ability to initiate and deliver change to enable growth
• Ability to make sound, justifiable decisions
• Ability to effectively obtain information through interview, interrogation, and other legal research methods
• Ability to work well under pressure
• Ability to effectively supervise, evaluate and direct the work of others
• Ability to use discretion, exercise sound judgment, and maintain confidentiality
• Ability to effectively organize work, determine priorities, including the ability to make decisions and complete assigned duties with minimal supervision 
• Discretion and good judgment in dealing with sensitive and personal information with ability to maintain appropriate confidentiality
• Strong and effective spoken and written (English) communication skills including the ability to clearly explain policies and procedures; the ability to give knowledgeable and practical advice; and the ability to maintain clear, accurate case files
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with co-workers, law enforcement offices and agencies, representatives of cooperating agencies and the general public

• Prosecutorial work experience in a State's Attorney's Office
• Law experience as a practicing attorney in the State of Maryland
• Work experience handling homicide cases
• At least 7 years of work experience as a criminal litigator
• Familiarity with various forensic methodologies to include, but not limited to, ballistics, post-mortem analysis, toxicology, drug analysis, cellphone analysis, cell-site location analysis, DNA analysis, GSR analysis, and fingerprint analysis

• While working in this position, the employee is frequently sitting and walking
• While working in this position, the employee is frequently working indoors

• Available for varied evening, weekend, and on-call work hours to accommodate meetings, trials, special events, etc 
• Ability to provide own transportation to meetings, etc.
• This position is subject to random drug testing, to include testing for marijuana
• Required certifications must be maintained throughout the tenure of employment 

• As a representative of the people of Frederick County, it is imperative that the Chief Prosecutor maintain competent and professional relations with the public
• This position will be full-time without a private practice

1. An evaluation of training and qualifications
2. Skills testing
3. One or more interviews
4. Pre-employment drug test to include testing for marijuana 
5. A pre-employment background investigation conducted by the State’s Attorney’s Office

Frederick County Government is committed to providing an inclusive work environment and complies with all applicable laws and regulations regarding workplace accommodation, including for individuals with disabilities. Applicants who require reasonable accommodation during the application and hiring process may contact the Talent Acquisition section of Human Resources. Inquiries about accommodations can be sent to Recruitment@FrederickCountyMD.gov