Deputy District Attorney I/II/III/IV – SVU

Colorado District Attorneys' Council; Denver (CO); Hybrid; USD 85,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Colorado District Attorneys' Council seeks a Deputy District Attorney I–IV for the Special Victims Unit in the 18th Judicial District. The Deputy DA handles felony docket and first chairs trials at F4s and below, with potential placement in Appeals, Domestic Violence, Economic Crimes, Intake, Juvenile Crimes, Organized Crimes, or SVU.

Education must include law school graduation and Colorado licensure. Salary ranges vary by level from I to IV and depend on experience; a target start date is

Qualifications

• Law school graduation and admission to the Colorado bar.
• 3+ years of litigation experience or 1 year of County Court (misdemeanor) Deputy DA experience.
• Licensed to practice law in Colorado.

Responsibilities

• Review and file felony charges; evaluate evidence and charges; provide discovery and victim notifications.
• Advise and support law enforcement on criminal issues, warrants, and case development.
• Assess defendants and case readiness; review history; prepare witnesses for hearings and trial.

Skills

Criminal procedure knowledge

Evidence rules knowledge

Courtroom advocacy

Effective communication

Education

Juris Doctor degree

Colorado bar license

Equivalent education/experience

Job description

The Arapahoe County government serves its communities in ways both obvious and obscure. As the beating heart of local and regional government, we’re here for our neighbors on their best days—and their worst. We share our residents’ goals of preserving our quality of life and strive to be the place we’re proud to call home.

Special Victims Unit is a highly specialized unit of prosecutors committed to serve the District’s most vulnerable populations. Cases include sexual assault on children, child abuse resulting in serious bodily injury or death, adult sexual assault, internet-facilitated crimes, including luring and possession of child pornography, intimate crimes against individuals who are at-risk, have intellectual deficit or other disabilities, etc.

The Deputy District Attorney performs a variety of professional legal and docket management functions to intake and prosecute felony offenses in the 18th Judicial District.

The Deputy DA I handles felony docket and is expected to first chair F4s and below. The Deputy DA II handles felony docket and is expected to first chair F2s and below. The Deputy DA III handles felony docket and is expected to first chair F2s and below, and on occasion, some F1 felonies. The Deputy DA IV handles felony docket and is expected to first chair all class 1 felonies.

Note: This posting is hiring for a Deputy District Attorney I/II/III/IV – SVU commensurate with experience and has a target start date between 11/1/26 and 1/1/27.

NOTE: Education and Experience Requirement for all levels I/II/III/IV are:

• Graduation from law school as provided under Rule 205.1 of the Colorado Rules of Civil Procedure.
• Licensed to practice law in the State of Colorado

Additional requirements and salary range for each level below are:

Deputy DA I

• 3 + years litigation experience or 1 year County Court (misdemeanor) Deputy DA experience.
• The full salary range for the Deputy DA I is $84,565.00 – $135,083.00

Deputy DA II

• 5+ years litigation experience.
• The full salary range for the Deputy DA II is $93,021.24 – $148,592.08

Deputy DA III

• 8+ years litigation experience
• The full salary range for the Deputy DA III is $102,323.00 – $163,451.08

Deputy DA IV

• 12+ years litigation experience
• The full salary range for the Deputy DA IV is $112,555.04 – $179,796.24

GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF JOB:

The Deputy District Attorney I performs a variety of professional legal and docket management functions to intake and prosecute felony offenses in the 18th Judicial District. The Deputy DA I handles felony docket and is expected to first chair F4s and below. May be assigned to the following units: Appeals, District, Domestic Violence, Economic Crimes, Intake, Juvenile Crimes, Organized Crimes, and Special Victims Unit.

DUTIES:

• Review and file felony charges, including evaluating evidence, determining appropriate charges, preparing filing documents, providing discovery, and ensuring victim notifications.
• Advise and support law enforcement on criminal law issues, warrant requirements, investigative questions, and case development.
• Assess defendants and case readiness, including reviewing criminal history, evaluating bond considerations, identifying witnesses, and preparing victims and witnesses for hearings and trial.
• Represent the prosecution at hearings, including initial advisements, bond hearings, preliminary hearings, and arraignments; establish probable cause and manage case scheduling.
• Manage plea negotiations, prepare plea paperwork, communicate plea offers, and present factual bases for court acceptance.
• Litigate felony cases at trial, including voir dire, opening statements, direct/cross examinations, objections, evidentiary presentation, jury instructions, and closing arguments.
• Research, draft, and argue motions and legal briefs for both prosecution-initiated and defense-initiated motions.
• Provide on-call legal guidance for law enforcement after hours, review and coordinate warrant approvals, and respond to crime scenes when needed.
• Prepare case-related correspondence, including exculpatory disclosures and requests for additional investigation.
• Participate in training and community outreach, including attending required CLEs, delivering internal trainings, and presenting to schools or community groups.

REQUIREMENTS:

Skills, Abilities and Competencies:

• Considerable to extensive knowledge of the rules of criminal procedure and the rules of evidence; ability to effectively apply same in a docket/hearing/preliminary hearing/trial setting related to felony offenses. Considerable knowledge of state statutes and general knowledge of substantive case law related to felony offenses. Ability to advocate and/or present legal/factual scenarios in a clear and persuasive manner to persons of highly varying legal, educational, and socio-economic backgrounds.
• Ability to effectively process and dispose of felony criminal case filings while maintaining a balance of equal justice between victims, the People of the State of Colorado, and affected defendants; ability to assess cases for strengths versus weaknesses and aggravators versus mitigators to determine just and ethical dispositions that are within policies promulgated by the District Attorney.
• Ability to react quickly and appropriately in court to defense objections, oral motions, court inquiries and rulings, and presentations/responses from defense attorneys and witnesses. Ability to write in a succinct and well-reasoned manner.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with superiors, co-workers, defense attorneys, victims, judges, court staff, police officers, witnesses, related agencies’ personnel, and the general public; ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, with same.

Behavioral Competencies (these are required for all positions at ACG):

• Accountability
• Accessibility
• Inclusivity
• Integrity

Education and Experience:

• Graduation from law school as provided under Rule 205.1 of the Colorado Rules of Civil Procedure.
• 3 + years litigation experience or 1 year County Court (misdemeanor) Deputy DA experience.
• Licensed to practice law in the State of Colorado.
• Any equivalent combination of education and relevant work experience that satisfy the requirements of the job may be considered at the discretion of the District Attorney.

Pre-Employment Additional Requirements:

• Must successfully pass pre-employment testing which includes an acceptable motor vehicle record (MVR) and background check.
• Possession of a valid Class “R” Colorado Driver’s License or the ability to obtain one within two weeks of appointment.
• Security clearance required: will require fingerprinting and a Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI) background check.
• Licensed to practice law in the State of Colorado.