Senior Deputy District Attorney

Klamath County; Klamath Falls (OR); On-site; USD 113,000 - 147,000; Full time

Job summary

Klamath County District Attorney's Office in Oregon seeks a Senior Deputy District Attorney to manage major felony prosecutions, supervise deputies, and coordinate with law enforcement on high-profile cases. The role requires extensive criminal-law experience, Oregon Bar membership, and leadership in policy development.

The position involves on-call duties, courtroom advocacy, and collaboration with MDTs and community partners to uphold justice across Klamath County.

Qualifications

• Juris Doctor degree required; Oregon Bar in good standing at time of appointment.
• Extensive experience in criminal law; DUII, felonies, and domestic violence/sexual assault prosecutions.
• Current driver’s license is required.

Responsibilities

• Reviews police reports and requests follow-up investigations; charges offenses by information or indictment.
• Drafts or reviews legal documents including motions, orders, memoranda, diversion agreements, and search warrants with affidavits.
• Prepares for and presents evidence at hearings, arraignments, preliminary hearings, and trials; interviews witnesses and collaborates with law enforcement.
• Conducts legal research and stays updated on Oregon Criminal Code decisions and legislation.
• Participates in case negotiations with defense attorneys and analyzes case strength.
• Leads prosecution of high-complexity cases including homicides, sex crimes, and Measure 11 offenses.
• Supervises deputy district attorneys during DA absence; manages daily docket and public relations in DA’s absence.
• Collaborates with the District Attorney to establish policy on legal issues.
• Serves 24/7 on-call to coordinate Major Crime Team and homicide investigations; assists across cases with warrants and legal guidance.
• Evaluates and processes requests for expungements, driving-privilege restorations, and post-conviction relief proceedings.
• Drafts and handles animal forfeiture motions and related hearings; responds to staff inquiries on complex cases.
• Establishes and maintains partnerships with MDT and community organizations.

Skills

Language Skills

Mathematical Skills

Reasoning Ability

Computer Skills

Education

Juris Doctor Degree

Oregon Bar in Good Standing

Current Driver’s License

Job description

Position: Senior Deputy District Attorney

Department: District Attorney's Office

Pay Grade: $10,120.91 - $13,174.42/month

General Position Summary

Prosecutes major felony caseloads, including sex crimes, homicides, and Measure 11 offenses, from police report submission to final resolution. Supervises deputy district attorneys in the absence or conflict of the District Attorney, collaborates with the District Attorney on legal policy, and serves on-call 24/7 to coordinate the Klamath County Major Crime Team and homicide investigations. Deputy District Attorneys serve at the discretion and direction of the District Attorney.

Essential Functions

• Case Intake & Charging: Reviews police reports and requests follow-up investigations; charges offenses by information or indictment. Performs case intake duties on a rotational basis with other attorneys and law clerks.
• Legal Drafting: Drafts or reviews of legal documents, including motions, orders, memoranda, diversion agreements, and search warrants with supporting affidavits.
• Trial Preparation & Courtroom Representation: Prepares for and presents evidence/arguments at hearings, arraignments, preliminary hearings, pretrial conferences, motions, trials, sentencings, and Grand Jury proceedings; interviews witnesses and confers with law enforcement officers.
• Research & Oregon Criminal Code: Conducts legal research; maintains thorough knowledge of court decisions and legislation affecting the Oregon Criminal Code.
• Case Negotiations: Participates in case negotiations with defense attorneys by analyzing case strength, witness availability, and appropriate legal resolutions.
• Major Felony Prosecution: Leads prosecution of high-complexity cases, including homicides, sex crimes, serious assaults, Measure 11, and other complex cases requiring an experienced prosecutor.
• Supervisory & Operational Leadership: Supervises deputy district attorneys during the absence or conflict of the District Attorney; manages daily docket scheduling; and handles public relations in the absence of the DA.
• Policy Collaboration: Works directly with the District Attorney to establish policy on all legal issues.
• Major Crime On-Call: Serves 24/7 on-call to coordinate Klamath County Major Crime Team and homicide investigations, while always remaining available to assist law enforcement officers across any case or agency with search warrants and emergent legal guidance.
• Post-Conviction & Privilege Proceedings: Evaluates and processes requests for expungements, restoration of driving privileges, and Post-Conviction Relief (PCR) proceedings.
• Specialized Litigation: Drafts and files animal forfeiture motions and conducts subsequent hearings; evaluates and responds to court staff inquiries regarding legacy or out-of-ordinary cases.
• Community Partnerships & MDT: Establishes and maintains collaborative partnerships with the County Multidisciplinary Team (MDT) and community organizations (e.g., CARES, Klamath County Humane Society, KFPD, KCSO, OSP, DHS, Klamath County Community Corrections, KBBH, and the courts).
• Statutory Authority: Pursuant to ORS 8.780, each Deputy DA possesses the same qualifications as the District Attorney, functions under the DA’s direction, and performs job duties assigned by the DA.
• Workplace Culture: Demonstrates conduct as a collaborative team player, fostering a professional work environment for all District Attorney office personnel.

Supervisory Responsibilities

This position has no supervisory responsibilities.

Qualifications

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Education, Certification, & Experience

Graduation from accredited school of law; with extensive experience in the criminal law field preferred. Must be a member in good standing of the Oregon Bar at the time of appointment. Experience prosecuting criminal offenses including DUII and misdemeanor assaults, thefts, etc., and felony cases. Experience in prosecuting domestic violence/sexual assault cases, both felony and misdemeanors.

Current Driver’s License

Juris Doctor Degree

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

Language Skills Ability to read, analyze, and interpret common scientific and technical journals, financial reports, and legal documents. Ability to respond to common inquiries or complaints from customers, regulatory agencies, or members of the business community. Ability to write speeches and articles for publication that conform to prescribed style and format. Ability to effectively present information to top management, public groups, and/or boards of directors.

Mathematical Skills Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals. Ability to compute rate, ratio, and percent and to draw and interpret bar graphs.

Reasoning Ability Ability to apply principles of logical or scientific thinking to a wide range of intellectual and practical problems. Ability to deal with nonverbal symbolism (formulas, scientific equations, graphs, musical notes, etc.,) in its most difficult phases. Ability to deal with a variety of abstract and concrete variables.

Computer Skills To perform this job successfully, an individual should have knowledge of Database software and Word Processing software.

Physical Requirements

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this Job, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear. The employee is occasionally required to stand; walk; sit and reach with hands and arms. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 10 pounds.

Working Conditions

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

Work Schedule

The normal work schedule is 8 hours per day 5 days per week; exact schedules are assigned by management. It is the attendance standard of the employer that all employees be present and on time each shift they are scheduled to work. Full or partial absence during any scheduled shift, arriving late, or leaving early, for whatever reason, may result in disciplinary action up to and including termination of employment. Time off may be approved if allowed by applicable policies covering illness, injury, or other personal emergency.