Assistant Prosecutor

Position Summary

An Assistant Prosecutor performs a myriad of functions within the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office directed at the investigation, charging and prosecution of juvenile, domestic violence and criminal charges brought by the State of New Jersey. An Assistant Prosecutor may also represent the State in various forms of appellate litigation, including municipal appeals, interlocutory appeals and appeals from final orders in both State and Federal Courts.

NOTE: The examples of work for this title are for illustrative purposes only. A particular person using this title may not perform all duties listed in this job specification. Conversely, all duties performed on the job may not be listed.

Responsibilities and Essential Duties

• The Assistant Prosecutor will determine when appropriate criminal charges or disorderly persons offense charges are warranted. The Assistant Prosecutor will direct and review the completion of all appropriate complaints.
• The Assistant Prosecutor will handle all cases assigned to him/her for prosecution on behalf of the State of New Jersey. These cases may involve domestic violence in the Family Court, disorderly persons offenses in Municipal Court, juvenile offenses in Family Court, and indictable criminal offenses in the Superior Court Law Division. The Assistant Prosecutor will be tasked with the responsibility of ensuring that all discoverable materials have been provided during litigation, handling all pretrial litigation either as the moving or responding party, and handling all necessary matters to bring the case to resolution either by way of plea or trial.
• The Assistant Prosecutor may also be required to represent the State of New Jersey in matters developed post-conviction. These matters would include Motions for Reconsideration, Motions for Post-Conviction Relief, responding to appeals of final orders and convictions, as well as federal Habeas Corpus Litigation and various incarceration alternatives such as the Intensive Supervision Program applications.
• The Assistant Prosecutor may also be required to handle on behalf of the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office various pre-trial detention motions concerning cases that may or may not be assigned to that Assistant Prosecutor. Additionally, the Assistant Prosecutor may also be required to handle, subsequent to consultation with other Assistant Prosecutors, various sentencing, status conferences, arraignment status conferences, and other matters before the Court on cases involving the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office, whether or not the Assistant Prosecutor is assigned to those cases.
• The Assistant Prosecutor may also be assigned such additional duties on behalf of the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office such as instructing at the Somerset County Police Academy, instructing for the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office Advocacy Institute, providing instruction to various community organizations, and representing the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office on various State and local committees relating to the criminal justice function of this office.
• The Assistant Prosecutor may also, from time to time, assist other Assistant Prosecutors in the prosecution and litigation of cases that are not specifically assigned to that particular Assistant Prosecutor. This function may include research and writing relating to various issues during the course of the trial, litigating issues, preparing witnesses, and assisting the lead Assistant Prosecutor during the pendency of the litigation/trial. The Assistant Prosecutor may also, with the assistance of the Victim Witness unit, advise victims, witnesses, and others related to the case of the status of the case, the potential future litigation of the case, as well as potential future resolution of the case pursuant to the guidelines involving the notification and input of victims and witnesses

Qualifications

• The Assistant Prosecutor must have graduated from an accredited law school, passed the New Jersey Bar Examination, and be a member in good standing of the New Jersey State Bar. (We will consider a soon to graduate L3 student providing they successfully graduate and pass the NJ Bar within seven months.)
• The Assistant Prosecutor should have the ability to read, write, speak, understand, and communicate in the English language as well as the ability to utilize various types of electronic computer and information systems used in the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office sufficiently to perform the duties of the position of Assistant Prosecutor.
• The Assistant Prosecutor will also be required to maintain the confidentiality of the investigative methods of this office, the reports generated that are not matters of public record, the existence of and the applications for Search Warrants, Communications Data Warrants, Wiretaps, and all other matters involving knowledge that if made public would be detrimental to the investigation and prosecution of criminal offenses.
• The Assistant Prosecutor, prior to being hired, must successfully complete a comprehensive background investigation to be carried out by the Somerset County Prosecutor's Office. This background investigation includes but is not limited to the following: federal and state fingerprint check for criminal record, reference checks, credit checks, domestic violence registry check, motor vehicle license check, unannounced home visit and neighbor check, automated traffic warrant and criminal warrant checks, and the successful passing (negative results) of a drug screening urinalysis for the presence of illegal controlled substances.
• Assistant Prosecutors will be required to possess a valid New Jersey driver’s license prior to employment. Law Clerk experience isn’t required but is a positive factor when evaluating a candidate.

Salary: $82,500/year

Benefits include health coverage (medical, prescription, and dental), paid time off (vacation, holidays, and sick), a deferred compensation plan, and enrollment in the NJ State Pension System.