Assistant City Prosecutor, Mental Health Court | Specialty Courts Unit | Criminal Division

With more than 200 attorneys and professional staff, the Seattle City Attorney’s Office is one of the largest law offices in Seattle and is the third-largest public law office in the state. Our office is committed to making Seattle a safe, healthy, empowered, and thriving community for everyone. We strive to address historical injustices within the court system with self-examination and to pursue justice in Seattle with integrity, creativity, and fairness. We believe working transparently, innovatively, and in collaboration with our partners in the community is necessary to achieve outcomes that promote equity, accountability, and healing. The MHC prosecutor is responsible for covering 4 regular calendars and 1 abbreviated “Must Do” calendar each week, in addition to attending a weekly MHC staffing meeting and a monthly MHC team meeting. There may also be opportunities for the prosecutor in this position to attend conferences focusing on therapeutic courts and related topics. This position is directly supervised by the Specialty Court Unit supervisor. This position requires collaboration with the court, defense, the court clinician, and the MHC probation counselor. The MHC prosecutor must be committed to therapeutic alternatives to traditional criminal prosecution, and “thinking outside the box” is encouraged. This position requires the MHC prosecutor to constantly balance defendants’ need for treatment with public safety. The MHC prosecutor is also a backup to the other attorneys in the Specialty Court Unit, including LEAD, LINC, Infractions, and Connection Court. Cross-training between the sub-units and willingness to assist between the sub-units is essential. All ACPs will also support jail holiday coverage on a rotating basis and general criminal division support as needed.

About the court: Mental Health Court is a voluntary therapeutic court for defendants who have an eligible DSM-5 mental health diagnosis and who are amenable to committing to a treatment plan and court oversight lasting up to 24 months. The MHC prosecutor is part of a team consisting of the judge, defense attorneys, the MHC probation counselor, and the MHC Court Clinician who work collaboratively to connect defendants to appropriate treatment to address their underlying behavioral health issues. This court is also responsible for adjudicating all phases of competency raised under RCW 10.77 in all criminal cases pending in Seattle Municipal Court. Regular court calendars are scheduled every afternoon, Monday through Thursday, with a Friday morning “Must Do” calendar. • Representing the City in all hearings in MHC, including arraignments, pretrial hearings, probation review hearings, contested competency hearings, and competency restoration hearings

• Drafting and submitting relevant written briefs in support of contested competency hearings and competency restoration hearings

• Negotiating appropriate dispositions for MHC participants

• Negotiating appropriate sanctions for MHC participants who are non-compliant with their dispositional conditions

• Keeping advocates and assigned trial prosecutors updated on the status of competency hearings and orders, pertinent rulings, and case dispositions

• Staffing cases at weekly meetings with members of the MHC team

• Attending a monthly MHC team meeting

• Reviewing competency evaluations written by forensic psychologists

• Generating and filing all competency-related forms in the Seattle Municipal