Job Description

Public Defender Investigator I

Final Filing Deadline: February 2, 2026

Exam # 26/34D22/01GM

The County of Monterey is committed to honoring the service and sacrifice of veterans and eligible military spouses and awards veterans' preference points for this recruitment. To learn more about the eligibility requirements and the process, be sure to read the Hiring Preference for Veterans and Eligible Military Spouses section located towards the end of this job flier.

The Public Defender's Office provides legal representation to indigent persons charged with crimes in Monterey County, ranging from the simplest misdemeanor to complex capital cases. The guiding principle of the office is that each client is entitled to the best outcome legally attainable. Our attorney's, investigators and support staff take great pride in providing a consistently high level of service. The Public Defender's Office seeks qualified applicants to apply for the position of Public Defender Investigator I.

The Public Defender Investigator I is the entry level class in the Public Defender Investigator series. Incumbents conduct investigations of the less complex misdemeanor and felony cases referred to the Public Defender's Office, initially under close supervision. As incumbents gain experience and proficiency in performing tasks, supervisory decreases. Incumbents must possess some knowledge of pertinent laws, regulations, court procedures, and departmental policies.

The Eligible List established by this recruitment process may be used to fill current and future vacancies on a regular full-time, part-time, or temporary basis.

This classification is part of a flexible series. Incumbents appointed at the lower level of the career series may be promoted up to the higher level of the career series subject to their meeting the employment standards for the higher class and a recommendation for their promotion by the appointing authority.

Examples of Duties

• Participates in routine investigations of misdemeanor and felony cases.
• Evaluates various types of evidence and advises attorneys in investigative procedures and techniques, physical evidence matters, and information sources.
• Assists attorneys in the preparation and presentation of defense evidence and testimony.
• Locates and interviews defendants, complainants, and witnesses; interviews police and other public agencies, and others who may have official or professional information relevant to a legal defense. Confers with the attorneys on the reliability and credibility of witnesses; helps prepare witnesses' testimony.
• Locates and serves subpoenas for court appearances of defense witnesses.
• Makes arrangements or transports witnesses to and from court or to court-ordered programs; arranges travel and lodging needs for out-of-county witnesses; attends to appropriate witness fee payments.
• Locates, obtains, evaluates, and preserves documentary evidence from a variety of sources.
• Prepares and provides oral and written reports and correspondence regarding investigation performed, contacts made, physical evidence found, which includes statements, scene descriptions, and analysis of physical evidence.
• Gathers, marks, records, and preserves physical evidence; determines the importance and relevance of the evidence in investigations.
• Operates and maintains a variety of photographic, tape, graphic, and projection equipment. Photographs crime scenes, clients' injuries for use as evidence in cases, and prepares photographic line-ups for witness review.
• Searches computer resources.
• May testify in court regarding investigations and the evidence obtained.

To view the complete classification description, please visit the County of Monterey website.

The successful candidate will have a proven track record demonstrating the following knowledge, skills, and abilities:

• Principles, methods, and techniques of criminal investigations, including gathering, preserving, and presenting evidence, basic identification techniques, and methods of operation.
• Laboratory procedures, methods, and uses of scientific investigative equipment and analysis incident to the investigation of crimes.
• Criminal law, including the laws of arrest, search and seizure, subpoena service, rules of evidence, rules and regulations regarding juveniles, laws, regulations, and procedures regarding conservatorship, custody, and mental health proceedings, and courtroom procedures in felony, misdemeanor, and juvenile court or jury trial matters.
• Basic psychological principles, interviewing techniques, and interrogating witnesses of varied socio-economic and cultural backgrounds, and mentally deficient clients.
• Current technology and trends in the profession.
• Telephone, office, and online etiquette.
• Location of and means to obtain information, evidence, records, and reports, including the use of skip tracing techniques.
• Techniques employed in diagramming and making demonstrative evidence to be presented in court.

Skill and ability to:

• Gather, assemble, analyze, and evaluate facts and evidence to draw logical conclusions and to formulate sound recommendations. Be objective in fact finding.
• Determine priorities and importance of various types of evidence.
• Effectively communicate in oral and written form by preparing, reviewing, and evaluating comprehensive reports on investigations.
• Obtain information through interviews.
• Work effectively under decreasing supervision, over time.
• Communicate clearly, concisely, calmly, respectfully, effectively, and diplomatically in dealing with clients, management, other employees, subordinates, professionals from other agencies, and the public from diverse cultures and backgrounds.
• Maintain effective audio-visual discrimination and perception needed for making observations, communicating with others, and reading and writing.
• Maintain mental capacity, which allows the ability of making sound decisions and demonstrating intellectual capabilities.
• Exercise good judgment and tact in dealing with sensitive cases.
• Develop demonstrative evidence for use in court, such as diagrams, charts, and photographs.
• Testify in court in a direct, clear, and concise manner.
• Read and comprehend legal material.
• Deal effectively with various levels of government, law enforcement agencies, judicial groups, and individuals.
• Recognize potentially hostile situations; adapt to many different environments; function calmly in situations which require a high degree of sensitivity, tact, and diplomacy.
• Provide prompt, efficient, and responsive service to management, the attorneys, and/or the clients.
• Exercise appropriate judgment in answering questions and releasing information; analyze and project consequences of decisions and/or recommendations.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with employees, other criminal justice agencies, courts, and the public.
• Use laptop and personal computers, word processing programs, and access the internet; learn computer programs and databases; use computer presentation software.
• Use film and digital photographic equipment; use measuring devices; draw diagrams to scale; operate various scientific investigation equipment.

Examples of Experience/Education/Training:

Any combination of training, education and/or experience which provides the knowledge, skills and abilities and required conditions of employment is qualifying. An example of a way these requirements might be acquired is:

Experience: Two years of experience performing duties requiring interviewing, researching and report writing.

OR

Education: Successful completion of three college level courses which stressed independently gathering and analyzing data, using both oral interview and library research methods and writing reports using data gathered.

Conditions of Employment:

• Possess and maintain a valid California Class C driver license or the ability to arrange necessary and timely transportation for field travel.
• Be available to work a flexible schedule, including evenings, weekends, holidays, and during times of disaster and/or emergency; travel out of County to attend meetings.

The following are highly desirable but not required:

• Possess a California Private Investigator license.
• Spanish language communication, both oral and written.

Benefits:

The County of Monterey offers an excellent benefits package. Please visit our website to view the Unit J Benefit Summary Sheet. This information is not legally binding, nor does it serve as a contract. The benefits listed in the Monterey County Personnel Policies and Practices Resolution or Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) prevail over this listing.

Notes:

• As a condition of employment, prospective employees may be required to submit to a background review which may include a review of information concerning present and/or prior employment, driving record, and record of any criminal convictions.
• Employment is contingent upon acceptable documentation verifying identity and authorization for employment in the U.S.; a list of acceptable documents is available on the USCIS Form I-9.
• If you are hired into this classification in a temporary position, your rate of pay will be hourly, and

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