Judicial Specialist
City of Kent
Kent, WA
Full-time
Legal
Posted on January 22, 2019
Judicial Specialist
Job Description
Overall Job Objective
Job Title: | Judicial Specialist |
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Closing Date/Time: | Fri. 02/01/19 5:05 PM Pacific Time |
Salary: | $4,640.00 - $5,652.00 Monthly $55,680.00 - $67,824.00 Annually |
Job Type: | Regular Full-time |
Location: | 220 4th Ave. S., Kent, Washington |
**A cover letter and resume are required with your online application in order for your application to be considered complete. Uploading your resume to auto-fill portions of the application does not automatically attach it to your application. Incomplete applications will not be considered for this position. Please note that you cannot attach documents to your application after it has been submitted. If you have any questions or concerns regarding your online application, please call our office at (253) 856-5270 and we will do our best to assist you.** The City of Kent is seeking an experienced Judicial Specialist to provide critical support to our municipal court system and staff. Judicial Specialists are highly visible and the primary initial point of contact for many Kent residents and other customers who have business with the Court. Additionally, this position has the responsibility of opening and closing Court each day which requires the successful candidate to be dependable and punctual. The ideal candidate will have the ability to work effectively with minimal supervision and to appropriately handle confidential information and respond appropriately under stressful conditions. Skill in handling frequent interruptions during daily work with a pleasant and customer-focused demeanor is also required. This recruitment may utilize multiple steps to narrow down the applicant pool, including a written exam and an interview. Dates for these processes have not been established, but applicants will be kept informed as these details are determined. There is one (1) full-time, benefited position that will be filled by this recruitment process. This position is not represented by a union. Under the direction of the Court Supervisor, or designee, the incumbent is responsible for performing a wide variety of technical recordkeeping and complex court and administrative duties in support of the Municipal Court; prepare and process forms, orders, and documentation for court cases from origin to final disposition; and provide court related information to the public. Work is characterized by a high degree of specialized and confidential responsibilities. Work is performed in accordance with professional standards, City ordinances, and state and federal law and policies established by the Presiding Judge, Court Administrator, and/or Chief Administrative Officer. Duties may include, but are not limited to, verifying the accuracy and completeness of legal forms; assisting the public including attorneys, law enforcement, and court and community agencies by answering inquiries, explaining detailed regulations, procedures, and complex requirements of the judicial process; assisting in the selection of appropriate mandatory forms required to proceed in court; evaluating the customer's need for domestic violence protection orders, harassment orders, and/or restraining orders; assisting customers in the preparation of documents for emergency matters; receiving and receipting legal financial obligations, bail, judgments, court fines, and fees; and ensuring monies are recorded per statutes; expediting files and documents for hearings and ensuring delivery to the Judicial officer. Work is performed under general supervision. The supervisor defines objectives, priorities, and deadlines; and assists the incumbent with unusual situations, which do not have clear objectives or precedents. The incumbent plans and carries out assignments and handles problems and deviations in accordance with instructions, policies, procedures, and/or accepted practices. Work is evaluated for technical soundness and conformity to practice and policy. |
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Essential Duties and Responsibilities: | |
Prioritize and prepare daily in-custody calendar as reported by the daily system generated court list and pre-established calendar; verify that all appropriate paperwork, such as new charging documents and warrants, has been filed with the Court; process all related court documents, schedule court hearings, and notify all parties of upcoming court proceedings.
Research and identify defendant's in-custody status and jail location; coordinate in-custody transports from other jurisdictions to Kent Correctional Facility and/or Municipal Court; and notify all parties involved. Serve as the clerk for daily in-custody calendar and while court is in session in courtroom or at Kent City Jail, record and document proceedings; mark exhibits and make required docket entries; process all court-generated orders and continuance requests; serve no contact orders, stay out of areas of prostitution or racing orders, and orders for protection on responding party or defendant; respond to questions in a courtroom environment; assist and accommodate jurors during jury trials; maintain recording equipment; serve subpoenas when necessary; and ensure all documents are signed and served on defendants in person at correctional facility. Check eligibility for the Interstate Commission for Adult Offender Supervision (ICAOS) and refer relevant cases to Kent Probation for processing. Provide appropriate court documents to Western State Hospital for Mental Health Competency Evaluations as requested. Maintain contact to verify compliance with court orders and follow through with appropriate actions. Maintain warrant control and Failure To Appear (FTA) control which includes, but is not limited to, ordering, issuing, recalling, adjudicating, processing, and purging to limit court liability. Meet individually with specific defendants to review compliance with AA meeting requirement; Evaluate and identify possible discrepancies or falsification of AA proof; verify validity and set revocation/review hearing if needed; receive and evaluate all probation reports and schedule hearing or refer to Judge accordingly; review compliance and non-compliance reports from treatment agencies, take appropriate action per court procedures, and make all necessary docket entries; refer all assigned cases to the Probation Division including pre- and post-sentence interviews. Process Civil Orders for Protection: evaluate customer needs for Domestic Violence, Harassment, or Restraining Orders; assist the customer with the preparation of documents; and provide emergency response information. Responsible for large sums of cash on a daily basis; receive, input, and reconcile payments for accounts receivable, and balance cash drawer at the end of day; research complex account payment history to determine where money should be applied; and make account receivable corrections when ordered by court. Create accounts receivable and set payment agreements in accordance with court procedures and jurisdiction. Monitor payments and take appropriate action for delinquent accounts in accordance with court procedures. Communicate with collection agency when appropriate to assign or remove cases. Enter all cases (criminal citations, traffic infractions, parking tickets, and orders for protection) into the Statewide Judicial Information System (JIS)/Case Management System which requires verifying personal identification information. Schedule hearings with counsel and notify all parties related. Set cases within jurisdictional timeframes in accordance with the Washington State Court Rules for various types of hearings including, but not limited to, arraignment, pretrial, trial, review, mitigation, contested, pre-hearing conference, and show cause and motions. Process impound hearing requests. Serve as liaison between the court and the public, police, prosecutors, defense counsel, and other City departments and employees; reply to citizens by providing answers to questions and information regarding court procedures; resolve complaints; and make referrals as necessary. Process all legal documents received from prosecutor, defense counsel, police department, corrections facility, treatment agencies, probation department, and the public. Take action using the appropriate court procedures mindful of speedy trial and jurisdictional timelines. Provide appropriate correspondence or documentation as set forth by public disclosure law. Order and prepare tracking reports to verify compliance of all sentencing conditions ordered by the judge. This includes, but is not limited to, evaluating defendant criminal history for new law violations, confirming compliance with conditions such as alcohol, drug, domestic violence, and mental health treatment and evaluations, DUI victim's panel, Alcohol/Drug Information School, Defensive Driving School, parenting treatment, HIV test, AA meetings, and restitution. Serve as Public Defense screener by interviewing defendant to determine their financial eligibility for a court appointed public attorney based on predetermined financial standards. Review personal financial information provided by defendant and perform mathematical calculations to determine if defendant is eligible according to the State of Washington Poverty Guidelines for Indigent-Defense Screening. Maintain and save all interview records daily. Distribute interview log to the Prosecutor and Defense Counsel to advise of new appointments. Process correspondence from defendants which includes, but is not limited to, identifying the issue, researching the request, referring to the judge, and responding to the defendant. Order, email, print, and prepare courtroom calendars and case files for all court sessions; insure appropriate documentation is in file; forward future calendars via fax or email to the prosecutor's office, defense counsel, jail, and/or probation department on a daily basis to facilitate global calendar management; insure readiness for court proceedings; and disinfect work surfaces to promote a clean and healthy work environment. Provide appropriate correspondence or documentation as set forth by public disclosure law. Maintain an accurate, up-to-date, and complete filing system for all criminal files. Scan and index new citations, supplemental documents, and closed files into the City's imaging system. Actively support the vision, mission, values, and goals of the department and the City. PERIPHERAL DUTIES: Perform other related duties as assigned. |
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Knowledge, Skills and Abilities: | |
KNOWLEDGE OF:
SKILLED IN:
ABILITY TO:
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Education, Experience and Other Requirements: | |
Education:
High school diploma, or equivalent, supplemented by some college level course work or training in legal secretarial, paralegal support, or court environment; and Experience:
Three (3) years of general, court related experience working in a district or municipal court.
Or:
In place to the above requirements, the incumbent may possess any combination of relevant education and experience which would demonstrate the individual's knowledge, skill, and ability to perform the essential duties and responsibilities listed above.
LICENSES AND OTHER REQUIREMENTS:
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