Witness Assistant I, Da - Emergency Appointment

County of Los Angeles; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 42,000 - 54,000; Full time

Job summary

LOS ANGELES COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE is seeking qualified candidates for Emergency Witness Assistant I positions to support criminal court proceedings and witness appearance coordination. This emergency recruitment is intended to stabilize critical services and accelerate hiring in high‑need areas.

Selected individuals may be hired for up to 90 days with a possibility of permanent County employment upon successful performance assessment.

Qualifications

• One year of specialized office clerical experience, involving extensive public contact to obtain information in support of legal processes.
• Clear explanation of experience at a similar level if job title differs.

Responsibilities

• Persuades witnesses to appear in court and notifies attorneys of conflicts.
• Locates victims/witnesses using directories, court records, and databases to appear in trials.
• Serves subpoenas and verifies accuracy of lists for court proceedings.
• Instructs witnesses on laws and procedures, coordinates travel arrangements and reimbursements.
• May testify in court to describe measures taken to ensure appearance.

Job description

Position/Program Information

LOS ANGELES COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE

TYPE OF RECRUITMENT: OPEN COMPETITIVE - EMERGENCY

EXAM NUMBER: A1216E-HE

APPLICATION FILING PERIOD: We will be accepting online applications from Monday, October 26, 2026, at 8:00 a.m. (PT) until Monday, November 9, 2026, 5:00 p.m. (PT). All applications must be received before 5:00 p.m. (PT) on Monday, November 9, 2026, to be accepted.

The LA County Department of Human Resources (DHR) has authorized Hiring as an Emergency under Civil Service Rule 13.04 in response to Assembly Bill (AB) 2561 (McKinnor), which requires the County to report on high vacancy rates and recruitment efforts. This action supports a Countywide strategy to address persistent staffing shortages that threaten the delivery of essential public services. We are looking for qualified and committed individuals to help strengthen the County workforce and ensure residents continue to receive critical support. If you are looking for a new opportunity where your work will make an immediate impact, this may be the role for you.

The Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office is seeking qualified candidates to fill emergency Witness Assistant I vacancies related to the effort to stabilize critical services and accelerate hiring in high-need areas.

Under the emergency order, applicants who meet the requirements may be hired for an initial period of up to 90 days, with an opportunity for permanent County employment.

During your initial work period, you will be assessed on your work performance. This assessment will be weighted 100%.

Those who successfully pass the assessment will be considered for permanent appointment to Witness Assistant I.

POSITION INFORMATION

This position is responsible for assisting deputy district attorneys by ensuring the appearance, at the designated time and place, of all witnesses required to testify in criminal court trials. Incumbents provide administrative support in connection with pre-trial and continuing court proceedings and for report problems while working with deputy district attorneys, judges, investigators, law enforcement personnel, court and medical personnel, Los Angeles county personnel, outside vendors, and the public.

Essential Job Functions

• Persuades victims/witnesses, police officers, fire fighters, and medical personnel to appear in court as scheduled and rescheduled. Evaluates the commitment of witnesses to testify by regular telephone conversations. Notifies attorneys and investigators of problems or conflicts (e.g., uncooperative victims/witnesses) and recommends solutions. Works with Deputy District Attorneys, judges, investigators, police officers, court and medical personnel, Los Angeles County personnel, outside vendors (e.g., travel arrangements), and the public to solve problems related to witness appearance.
• Documents and searches for and locates victims/witnesses to appear in court trials by researching telephone directories, cross directories, court records, databases (e.g., PIMS), and information systems (e.g., Lotus Notes). Questions employers, relatives, and acquaintances to locate missing or reluctant victims/witnesses.
• Serves and re-serves subpoenas by e-mail, mail, fax, telephone, or in person with the assistance of an Investigator as the trial is scheduled and rescheduled. Reviews subpoenas and victims/witness lists for accuracy and completeness and makes necessary corrections in time allotted.
• Instructs victims/witnesses in the laws, rules, and court procedures governing their appearance and testimony. Contacts victims/witnesses, police, fire fighters, medical personnel, and expert witnesses to be on-call for upcoming court proceedings. Advises and notifies deputy district attorneys, victims/witnesses and police officers of the specific time and place to appear to testify, details of travel arrangements, and reimbursement claims. Advises witnesses and police of the ongoing status of the court case and their pending testimony.
• Coordinates airline, hotel, and ground transportation arrangements for victims/witnesses. Prepares witness reimbursement forms for travel, transportation (e.g., train and uber), lodging, meals, and payment of witness fees.
• May testify in court, when victims/witnesses do not appear, to detail the measures taken to ensure their appearance.
• Informs witnesses/victims of the date and time of court appearance, details of travel arrangement, and reimbursement of expenses.

Requirements

REQUIREMENTS TO QUALIFY:

One year of specialized office clerical experience*, involving extensive public contact to obtain information in support of legal processes.

You MUST meet the above requirement(s) in order to be appointed to fill any vacancies related to this recruitment.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENT INFORMATION: *Specialized office clerical experience is experience at the level of the County's class of Intermediate Clerk, Intermediate Typist-Clerk or higher. You may still qualify even if your job title isn’t exactly the same as the ones listed. What matters is that your experience is at a similar level – meaning your job involves similar responsibilities, requires comparable skills and knowledge, and takes place within a similar organizational structure. Please provide a clear explanation of your experience to demonstrate that it is at the appropriate level.

LICENSE: A valid California Class C Driver’s License or the ability to utilize an alternative method of transportation when needed to carry out job-related essential functions.

PHYSICAL CLASS: 2 – Light: This class includes administrative and clerical positions requiring light physical effort that may include occasional light lifting to a 10-pound limit and some bending, stooping, or squatting. Considerable ambulation may be involved.

LOCATION & SHIFT REQUIREMENTS: Applicants must be willing and able to work in ANY AREA of Los Angeles County and on ANY SHIFT (e.g., evenings, nights, weekends, etc.)

Additional Information

EXAMINATION CONTENT: During your initial work period, the appointing department will evaluate your performance. Those who achieve a passing score on this evaluation will be considered for permanent appointment.

VACANCY INFORMATION: This recruitment will be used to fill vacancies throughout the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office.

SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER: Please include your Social Security Number for record control purposes. Federal law requires that all employed persons have a Social Security Number.

QUESTIONS? PLEASE CONTACT US:

Exam Number: A1216E-HE

Department Contact Name: Exams Unit

Department Contact Phone: [phone]

Departmental Contact Email: [e-mail]

California Relay Services Phone: [phone]

County of Los Angeles

Employment Information

Any language contained in the job posting supersedes any language contained below.

This document is intended to provide general information about the recruitment process of the County of Los Angeles. Applicants with questions about a specific job posting should contact the exam analyst listed on the posting.

Equal Employment Opportunity/Non-Discrimination Statement

The County of Los Angeles is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer and is committed to non-discrimination in the County workforce, regardless of age (40 and over); ancestry; color; ethnicity; religious creed; protected family or medical leave status; disability; marital status; medical condition; genetic information; military and veteran status; national origin; race ; sex; gender; sexual orientation; or any other characteristic protected by State or federal law. For more information, please visit: https://employee.hr.lacounty.gov/eeo-programs/.

Testing Accommodations for Applicants

The County of Los Angeles complies with all federal and state disability laws and makes reasonable accommodations for qualified applicants and employees with disabilities. If a reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application process, please contact the testing accommodation coordinator listed on the job posting. Hearing impaired applicants with telephone teletype equipment may leave messages by calling the teletype phone number on the job posting. For more information on accommodations, please visit:https://hr.lacounty.gov/accessibility/.

Fair Chance

The County of Los Angeles is a Fair Chance employer. Except as otherwise permissible under applicable laws, you will not be asked to provide information about conviction history unless you receive a conditional offer of employment. The County will make an individualized assessment of whether your conviction history has a direct and adverse relationship with the specific duties of the job, and will also consider potential mitigating factors, which may include, but is not limited to, evidence and extent of rehabilitation, recency of the offense(s), and age at the time of the offense(s). If asked to provide information about conviction history, any convictions or court records which are exempted by a valid court order do not have to be disclosed. Qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with County Fair Chance Policies and the Fair Chance Act (Gov. Code Section 12952).

Employment Eligibility

Final appointment is contingent upon verification of U.S. citizenship or the right to work in the United States.

Career PathFinder

Resources to help current and prospective employees plan a career with Los Angeles County are available. To explore career paths to and from nearly all job titles, please visit our interactive Career PathFinder application at http://career-pathfinder.hr.lacounty.gov.

Veteran’s Credit

Pursuant to the County Charter and County policy, in all open competitive examinations (i.e., examinations open to everyone), the County of Los Angeles will add a credit of 10 percent of the total credits specified for such examination to the final passing score of an honorably discharged veteran, as well as the spouse of a deceased or disabled veteran, who served in the Armed Forces of the United States under specific conditions.
For more information on veteran’s credit, please visit: https://file.lacounty.gov/SDSInter/dhr/205102_PPG_115.pdf

Revised September 2025