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Role Description

This Deputy Attorney General position is an advanced prosecutor position in the Office of Attorney General’s Criminal Law Division. The Drug Strike Force Section provides legal assistance and direction to Bureau of Narcotics Investigation and Drug Control agents as they jointly develop complex cases for prosecution against narcotics traffickers and their organizations throughout Pennsylvania and across state borders. Drug Strike Force lawyers routinely utilize the Statewide Investigating Grand Jury and electronic surveillance as investigative resources and prosecute criminal cases in the various counties within their assigned region. Drug Strike Force lawyers provide similar assistance to the Pennsylvania State Police, upon request. The section is also responsible for coordinating investigations and prosecutions of drug diversion cases within the Office of Attorney General. This position requires an experienced prosecutor who will handle both traditional narcotics cases as well as drug diversion cases for the Region IV office based out of State College.

This position is responsible for all phases of prosecution, including:

• Making charging decisions
• Preparing for and attending arraignments, preliminary hearings, pretrial conferences, pretrial motions and hearings, trials (bench/jury), post-trial motions and hearings, and sentencing hearings

A willingness to travel is an essential part of this position, and an intimate knowledge of criminal law and criminal procedure is necessary to perform these duties. A Deputy Attorney General III (DAG III) will work independently on most matters. A Deputy Attorney General IV (DAG IV) works independently except in extraordinary cases.

Examples Of Duties

• Develops investigative plans based upon the nature of the matter to be investigated (simple/complex) in conjunction with the assigned agents
• Directs investigations determining what investigative steps to take and investigative tools to use to achieve an appropriate/just investigative outcome
• Monitors investigations, assessing progress and adjusting investigative strategies when needed
• Reviews and approves search and seizure warrants with assigned Narcotics Agents
• Reviews affidavits of probable cause for electronic surveillance orders and prepares applications for same
• Keeps supervisor informed of the progress and potential outcome of investigations
• Determines, along with agents and in consultation with superiors, whether to pursue a prosecution
• Writes submissions and presentments to the Statewide Investigating Grand Jury
• Prepares, reviews, and approves charging documents in conjunction with agents if prosecution is pursued
• Represents the Commonwealth post arrest and throughout all stages of the criminal prosecution including arraignments, preliminary hearings, pre-trial conferences, pretrial motions and hearings, trials (bench/jury), post-trial motions and hearings, and sentencing hearings
• Answers routine correspondence
• Performs additional and related work as required

Qualifications

• Graduation from an accredited school of law
• Admission to the Bar of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania
• Deputy Attorney General III: Minimum of six years of progressively responsible experience in professional legal work
• Deputy Attorney General IV: Minimum of ten years of progressively responsible experience in professional legal work
• Demonstrable ability to proactively develop, investigate, and prosecute cases, in conjunction and cooperation with agents within the Bureau of Narcotics Investigation and other sections within OAG, and/or with members or officers of outside partner law enforcement agencies

Requirements

• Grand Jury and electronic surveillance experience is preferred, but not required