Paralegal II - Felony Competency, Forensic Mental Health and Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity

• We exercise the power given to us by the people with fairness and humility.
• We serve our diverse community, support victims and families, and hold individuals accountable.
• We develop innovative and collaborative solutions for King County and the State of Washington.

* In addition to the benefits listed on the benefits tab, employees with less than 2 years of service will receive .25 per hour less than the hourly salary table due to a mandatory contribution toward the Teamsters Pension Trust that was voted by members of the collective bargaining agreement between our office and Teamsters Local No. 117.  This contribution is made by the employee and after two years it is paid by the employer.

This position requires the adaptability to meet short deadlines in addition to long-term case tracking. The FCFMH requires specialized knowledge of the complex NGRI system and review processes (court, PSRP, RRB, treatment team) so that the individuals in these positions can coordinate with all of the necessary state partners including DSHS and DOC.  The two paralegals in this unit will share duties and support one another during prescheduled and unexpected leave.

• Receive and process requests for competency, restoration, and civil commitments.
• Request, review, process, and disseminate discovery related to the competency process including complex medical and forensic health records.
• Discretion in reviewing and understanding which progress reports need to be elevated to the DPAs immediate attention.
• Transition civil commitment case supervision to the Attorney General’s Office and provide/request certified documents.
• Communicate and serve as a liaison with doctors and administrative professionals at the Department of Social, Health Services (DSHS), contracted treatment facilities and Attorney General’s Office.
• Electronically file court documents (e.g., Briefs, Notes for Criminal Motion, Continuance Orders, etc.).
• Ensure materials before calendars are prepared and distributed to all parties.
• Subpoena and coordinate schedule availabilities of experts and other witnesses for motion hearings, trials and defense interviews. To include subpoenas duces tecum, and subpoenas for testimony.
• Maintain communication and coordinate availability with prosecutors, defense attorneys, expert witnesses, and victims.  
• Support prosecutors with trial and testimonial hearing preparation for both Competency and NGRI cases; to include contested competency, forced meds hearings, jury trials on unconditional release and contested conditional release hearings. Each contested NGRI hearing is like a short bench trial (briefing, multiple witness testimonial coordination and exhibits) and unconditional releases are entitled to a jury trial
• Maintain, update, and search case management systems, which include, county, state, and federal databases. Support DPAs with requests for additional medical records, police reports, and/or out-of-state records.
• Manage competency correspondence through assigned distribution lists and inboxes.
• Track NGRI cases from acquittal through hospitalization including review by the Public Safety Review Panel, requests for increased privileges and transitions into the community; including requesting reports from DSHS and DOC as needed during NGRI supervision.
• Ensure DPAs have all reports, requests, and information needed to complete the competency hearings before the calendars begin.
• Closely monitor transport lists from the King County Jail to treatment facilities.
• Closely track dismissed cases for refiling.
• Attend weekly staffing meetings and case review discussions
• Support the Race, Equity, and Social Justice policy and principles, working with PAO colleagues and management to identify opportunities for improvement and growth. Incorporate race, equity and social justice principles in regular job duties and decision-making.
• Additional responsibilities and/or tasks may be incorporated, or existing ones modified as business needs evolve.

• Prior felony trial experience is a plus.
• Ability to perform a variety of tasks that require the exercise of initiative and independent judgment, and the ability to anticipate needs and appropriately respond.
• Possession of excellent organizational skills, attention to detail, and the ability to work independently, as well as in a team environment.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills to interact with and respond, in a positive, experienced, and helpful manner with diverse individuals.
• The ability to analyze and think critically to initiate action and support decision making.
• Proven time management in effectively and accurately handling multiple tasks with short deadlines.
• Considerable knowledge of current civil and criminal law; including identification of legal problems, knowledge of legal terminology, interpretation and application of laws, rules, and regulations is preferred. Clear understanding of felony case flow in Superior Court is important in this role.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and discretion involving highly critical matters.
• Flexibility under pressure and willingness to assume unscheduled and unexpected responsibilities.
• Skill in using computers and a variety of software such as Prosecutor by Karpel (PbK), Word, Adobe Pro, Excel, PowerPoint, Access, and additional Court focused databases.
• Desire to learn a wide variety of new skills and the willingness to adapt comfortably to a fast-paced and every-changing work environment.
• Receptive to instructions, feedback, and coaching.
• Must have demonstrated predictable and reliable attendance.

The Prosecuting Attorney's Officeis dedicated to making King County a welcoming community where every person can thrive. We value diversity, inclusion and belonging in our workplace and workforce. To reach this goal we are committed to workforce equity. Equitable recruiting, support, and retention is how we will obtain the highest quality workforce in our region; a workforce that shares and will help advance our guiding principles--we are one team; we solve problems; we focus on the customer; we drive for results; we are racially just; we respect all people; we lead the way; and we are responsible stewards. We encourage people of all backgrounds and identities to apply, including Native American and people of color, immigrants, refugees, women, LGBTQ+, people living with disabilities, and veterans.

King County is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Employer
No person is unlawfully excluded from employment opportunities based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex (including gender identity, sexual orientation and pregnancy), age, genetic information, disability, veteran status, or other protected class. Our EEO policy applies to all employment actions, including but not limited to recruitment, hiring, selection for training, promotion, transfer, demotion, layoff, termination, rates of pay or other forms of compensation.

To Apply
If you are interested in pursuing this position, please follow the application instructions carefully. If you need this announcement in an alternate language or format, would like to request accommodation or assistance in the application or assessment process or if you have questions, please contact the recruiter listed on this job announcement.