Assistant City Attorney III/Prosecutor

Salary: $82,326.40 - $123,510.40 Annually

Location : Flagstaff, AZ

Job Type: Full-Time; Exempt; Benefit Eligible

Remote Employment: Flexible/Hybrid

Job Number: 115-24

Division: City Attorney

Opening Date: 07/19/2024

Closing Date: Continuous

Work Week: Monday through Friday7:30AM to 4:30PM

Pre-employment Requirements: Fingerprints

Additional Information: This position is posted with the full salary range indicating future potential earnings; however, the actual hiring salary for this position is dependent upon relevant experience and qualifications above minimum requirements and position funding. Therefore, all starting salaries above the midpoint require further review and additional approval.

Administrative Duties

Performs professional legal work assisting the City Attorney and City Prosecutor with researching and drafting ordinances and legal memoranda; enforcing ordinances and statutes; prosecuting misdemeanors in City Court; and advising City staff, consulting with the City Prosecutor, City Council, City Manager's Office and External Stakeholders as assigned.

Employees of this class in the Prosecution section will be under the direct supervision of the City Prosecutor, and are expected to exercise a great degree of independence, initiative, and professional expertise in the day-to-day prosecution of misdemeanor cases before the Flagstaff Municipal Court and the research functions of criminal law. An important aspect of this position is preparing and properly representing the city/state in misdemeanor trials as well as providing training, consultation and advice to less experience prosecutors, to police officers, support staff and other internal and external stakeholders as needed.
Examples of the Work Performed

• Handles all phases of prosecuting criminal misdemeanor cases, including City Code violation cases, and some civil traffic cases, before the Flagstaff Municipal Court.
• Conducts jury and nonjury trials and trains and assists junior prosecutors in doing so
• Appears in court for hearings, including but not limited to evidentiary hearings, oral arguments, restitution hearings, status hearings, and probation revocation hearings.
• Conducts legal research, develops arguments and drafts legal briefs in criminal cases as well as civil or appellate cases as needed.
• Appears at Initial Appearances and Arraignments and provides the Court with the State's position as to release conditions, if any.
• Conducts pre-trial conferenceswith defendants and defense attorneys in criminal cases and negotiates plea agreements.
• Prepares disclosure statements; responds to requests from defense for additional disclosure; negotiates and/or litigates issues.
• Reviews information provided by defense after pre-trial conferences but before trial; performs factual and/or legal research; if necessary negotiates plea offers; prepares written plea agreements and related paperwork; appears at change of plea hearings; reviews plea agreements with defendants; submits plea agreements to judge; provides judge with factual basis for charges; resolves any last minute disputes.
• Reviews sentencing files and prepares sentencing recommendations; appears at sentencing hearings, submits sentencing recommendations and argues in support of those recommendations as necessary.
• Communicates with crime victims and Victim Witness advocates and keeps them advised of case status.
• Files appeals to the Superior Court and sometimes to the Arizona Court of Appeals and responds to defense appeals.
• Interviews police officers and other witnesses to ascertain that evidence is complete and will be well presented.
• Assists the police department with ongoing trainings and consultation for individual officers as well as department wide, consults with Police Legal Advisor on rule and law changes and assists in crafting or adjusting policy, and informs affected private citizens in criminal matters.
• Reviews requests from citizens and law enforcement officers to charge crimes.
• Occasionally prosecutes conflict cases for other jurisdictions.
• Attends various City Council, board, commission, or other meetings to advise on legal problems and questions regarding legal matters.
• Researches and drafts ordinances, resolutions, intergovernmental agreements, development agreements, contracts, deeds, leases, and other legal documents.
• Researches and renders opinions and advice on a wide range of complex legal issues to City Council, boards, commissions, as directed by City Attorney or City Prosecutor, and to upper level administrative and professional staff.
• Conducts trainings for city staff on areas of expertise, specifically including, but not limited to, Law Enforcement.
• Assists and coordinates with other departments regarding legal matters affecting their operations.
• Assists the public regarding legal proceedings, procedures, or general questions or concerns relating to City legal matters, as required.
• May be assigned to research criminal matters as well as civil.
• May be assigned to investigate, prepare, and try administrative, civil, or criminal cases and appeals by or against the City in city, county, state, or federal courts, commissions or other administrative bodies.
• Will be assigned to mentor or supervise other attorneys in areas of expertise, and to provide supervision for junior prosecutors, support staff and interns.
• Prepares legal memoranda and briefs and performs legal analyses.
• Performs related duties as required.
• Provides excellent customer service to both internal and external customers.

Qualifications

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

• Graduation from a school of law accredited by the American Bar Association with an L.L.B., or a J.D
• Member in good standing with the State Bar of Arizona
• Familiarity with the Criminal Justice System including terminology and process
• At least 7 years' experience in legal prosecution/defense trial and motion work experience in another jurisdiction.
• At least 2 years of experience formally training or mentoring junior lawyers, law enforcement officers.
• Or any combination of education, experience, and training equivalent to the above Minimum Requirements.

DESIRED EXPERIENCE

• Attendance at minimum of 10 conferences on criminal prosecution presented by APAAC or the equivalent in prior 3 years; along with participation in community events that support law enforcement, criminal law and justice or similar.
• Publication of an article relating to criminal prosecution or civil defense of police department or presentation of at least one significant topic at APAAC or similar legal conference.

OTHER REQUIREMENTS

• Must possess, or obtain upon employment, a valid Arizona driver's license.
• Regular attendance is an essential function of this job to ensure continuity.

Supplemental Information

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

• Skill in expressing oneself clearly, logically and persuasively, orally and in writing.
• Ability to write clear, concise, and defensible briefs and memoranda.
• Ability to conduct thorough legal research and prepare sound legal opinions.
• Ability to understand and present complex legal and scientific theories in a hearing or courtroom setting.
• Ability to analyze, assess, and organize facts, evidence and precedents and effectively present such materials verbally and in writing.
• Advanced knowledge of local, county, state, and federal laws that relate to the criminal prosecution of suspects and/or enforcement of laws affecting municipal government.
• Advanced knowledge of judicial procedures and the Rules of Evidence.
• Ability to draft clear and enforceable contracts and ordinances.
• Demonstrated ability to conduct independent research of a complex nature and to conduct and present clear and succinct analyses of complex issues, including to Law Enforcement, APAAC and other professional organizations, City Council and the City Manager's Office and the Coconino County Criminal Justice Coordinating Committee as assigned.
• Ability to independently exercise good judgment and use discretion in conducting one's own responsibilities as well as when supervising, training or assisting other internal and external stakeholders.
• Advanced knowledge of the methods of legal research and of established precedents and sources of legal reference applicable to municipal activities.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with co-attorneys, law enforcement officers, subordinates, employees, public officials at other governmental entities, legal counsel for persons and entities working with the City, and the general public.
• Ability to competently fill in for City Prosecutor when City Prosecutor is unavailable.

The City of Flagstaff is a Qualified Public Student Loan Forgiveness Employer.

The City belongs to Northern Arizona Public Employees Benefit Trust (NAPEBT), a consortium formed to combine resources and leverage buying power in order to provide comprehensive and cost-effective benefits to employees. NAPEBT currently includes the City of Flagstaff, Coconino County, Coconino Community College, Flagstaff Unified School District, Mountain Line, Kachina Village Improvement District, and the Coconino County Accommodation School. NAPEBT continually works to ensure a better benefits package than any of the employers could offer individually, which keeps benefits costs down for employees.

INSURANCE
Benefits include medical, prescription, dental, vision, life insurance, and short and long term disability options.

For comprehensive information on the City's benefits package, please visit To access the Online Benefits Center, visit and select City of Flagstaff.

RETIREMENT
Employees are members of Arizona State Retirement System (ASRS), Public Safety Personnel Retirement System (PSPRS), or the Elected Officials Retirement Plan (EORP) based on eligibility requirements.

DEFERRED COMPENSATION
Employees may make pre- or post-tax contributions to a 457 Retirement Plan through Voya or ICMA account via Payroll Deduction.

Our comprehensive benefits package includes healthcare benefits, Arizona State or Public Safety Retirement, annual vacation, 11 paid holidays, paid Parental Leave, an offsite health clinic, Employee Assistance Program, wellness program and incentives, First-Time Homebuyer Assistance Program, Tuition Assistance Program, and so much more. The City of Flagstaff is a Qualified Public Student Loan Forgiveness Employer. To view comprehensive benefits information, click

01

Have you graduated from a school of law accredited by the American Bar Association with an L.L.B., or a J.D?

• Yes
• No

02

Are you a member in good standing with the State Bar of Arizona?

• Yes
• No

03

Do you have familiarity with the Criminal Justice System including terminology and process?

• Yes
• No

04

Do you have at least 7 years' experience in legal prosecution/defense trial and motion work experience in another jurisdiction?

• Yes
• No

05

Do you have at least 2 years of experience formally training or mentoring junior lawyers, law enforcement officers?

• Yes
• No

06

If you do not meet the minimum requirements listed above, do you have education, experience, and training equivalent to them? If so, please describe how you meet the requirements.

Required Question