ADDITIONAL COMMITTEE TOPICS. The ADDA and District Attorney Management agree that criminal justice reform has substantively impacted the volume and complexity of the work of a prosecutor. Deputy District Attorneys are required to exercise judgment regarding custody status, charging and sentencing for subjects, suspects and defendants. Decisions are made by deputy district attorneys daily that address public safety. Assessments and actions are necessary to protect the individual rights of victims and of the accused. In appropriate cases, evidence must be presented in jury trials spanning days, weeks or months. Arguments must be made to juries and judicial officers for appropriate sentences – from diversion to death. Post-convictions re-evaluation of cases is a growing part of the workload for deputy district attorneys. All of this work must be accomplished ethically and with knowledge of the facts before us and comprehension of the applicable laws. More and more of this work requires collaboration with and the respect of other justice partners and community stakeholders. An experienced and tested workforce is critical to accomplish this mission. Retention of deputy district attorneys qualified to perform these duties is mandatory. The level of discretion, knowledge and judgment necessary to perform anticipated duties emanating from criminal justice reform requires the experience of a DDA IV to ensure that best practices are followed with timeliness and consistency. A realignment of deputy district attorney items, increasing the number of Deputy District Attorney IV items proportionate to the workforce should occur to competently and confidently perform our duty to protect the public, pursue justice and safeguard the rights of defendants and crime victims. Therefore, the ADDA and District Attorney Management agree to work cooperatively to make a recommendation to the CEO to complete a class study to support the goal of adjusting current staffing levels to raise the number of Deputy District Attorney IV items, with a corresponding reduction in lower level Deputy District Attorney items. Further, the ADDA and District Attorney Management agree to incorporate the issues of County attorney compensatory time, supervision duties as part of the DDA IV Class Specification and working environment and conditions of concern to unit members into the COMMITTEE forum.
