Deputy District Attorney II

Salary: $96,194.59 – $146,288.90 Annually

The Benton County District Attorney’s Office is seeking a Deputy District Attorney 2 to join our team.

If you wake up every morning with a desire to do the right thing for the right reason, the Benton County District Attorney’s Office is where you should be.   As a DDA 2, you will protect victims’ rights, promote community safety, hold offenders accountable, and work to protect the constitutional rights of all in the system.  You will have the chance to make a real difference in the lives of others.  As a DDA 2, your case load will be based upon your demonstrated experience and skill set, but as you progress, you can expect to be assigned an increasingly complex and challenging case load.

UNDERFILL and LOWER LEVEL OPTION:
The goal is to fill this position as a Deputy District Attorney 2 (DDA 2). However, applicants who can meet the minimum qualifications for the DDA2 within one year of on-the-job training are encouraged to apply as “underfill” candidates. Employees hired into the DDA2 position as an underfill will be hired as a Deputy District Attorney 1 and then re-classified to the Deputy District Attorney 2 after passing trial service and meeting the minimum qualifications for that classification. Applicants who do not meet the requirements for the underfill option may be considered for the lower level option of Deputy District Attorney 1.

Pay:

• Annual salary range
  • Deputy District Attorney 2: $107,278.08 – $146,288.90
  • Deputy District Attorney 1: $96,194.59 – $131,175.20
• You will be eligible to receive a salary raise at 6 months, then again at 12 months, as long as your performance is in good standing!  If, for example, your starting pay is $117,030.78, your first raise will be to $121,907.14 and your second to $126,783.49. (See DDA 2 Salary Schedules – Benton County Human Resources, Oregon – click on Management and Non-Represented tab)

Part of a Team:

Our DDA team is composed of up to 12 prosecutors, with a range of experience from 2 to 24 years.  Maintaining a high level of skill and professionalism is essential.  However, equally important to us is having a team who supports one another, meshes well, and believes in the hard work we do. We emphasize an open-door policy, where each DDA as well as our elected will be available to assist and support you at all times; whether it is learning the practices of a new jurisdiction or providing feedback as you prepare for motions or trials in major cases, we will help you succeed.

How We will Support You:

You will be supported by some of the best, brightest and most seasoned prosecutors in the State of Oregon. You will have true and trusted mentors who will help you to be your best; you will have the opportunity to mentor and support DDAs with less or different experience than yourself.  Every year we send most of our DDAs to the ODAA summer conference as a team.  We will also provide opportunities for additional training in line with your areas of interest.

Our Prosecution Approach:

We use a vertical prosecution model, where each DDA handles their cases from review and charging through trial and sentencing. You will be encouraged to take on more challenging cases as you advance in skill and experience.  We provide our DDAs with a broad range of case assignments, but we will encourage you to develop an expertise in your particular areas of interest.  As a DDA 2, we will expect you to exercise a fair amount of autonomy regarding your cases, including making charging decisions, or in resolving or trying cases by “seeking justice through the truth” (our motto).

Working and Living in Benton County

Being a part of Benton County means you will be surrounded by highly educated neighbors and colleagues, with college-town amenities and resources.  Our jury pools are often comprised of professors, engineers, and even rocket scientists!

Living and working in the heart of the Willamette Valley offers unparalleled access to the great outdoors. The courthouse is located less than a mile from the Willamette River with excellent fishing and recreational activities. The beautiful Oregon coast is just over an hour away and has plenty of options for fantastic day trips to the beach, surfing, and hiking. You will also have easy access to the Coastal and Cascade mountain ranges for hiking, backpacking, and famous mountain biking trails. In the winter, several ski resorts are available to enjoy your weekends year round.

All are Welcome

The strength of our organization lies in the diversity of our workforce and the varying perspectives and experiences our employees bring. We encourage all to apply!

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
The following minimum qualifications are required for this position: 

Deputy District Attorney 2

• Juris Doctorate degree from an accredited school of law; AND
• Active member in good standing of the Oregon State Bar by time of hire, or within 6 months for transfers from other states; AND
• A minimum three (3) years of relevant legal experience, with one (1) of those years in felony criminal litigation, or equivalent relevant experience in complex litigation.

Deputy District Attorney 1

• Juris Doctorate degree from an accredited school of law; AND
• Active member in good standing of the Oregon State Bar by time of hire, or within 6 months for transfers from other states;

Special Requirements

• Must have or obtain a valid Oregon Driver’s License within the first 30 days of hire (travel required).  Must maintain a good driving record, and the use of a personal vehicle.
• Benton County residency is not required. However, due to the nature of the work, must live within a commute of 60 minutes from the Benton County Courthouse (a reasonable transition period will be allowed).
• Successful completion of a criminal background investigation.
• Ongoing compliance with all Federal, State and Local statutes.

The Ideal Candidate

• Have an interest in becoming a career criminal prosecutor.
• Have experience and competency using Outlook and Word.
• Have the ability to use, or quickly learn to use, the case management system, Prosecutor by Karpel (PBK).
• Enjoy working in a friendly, fun and hard-working group.
• Will be a competent trial attorney, who enjoys trying cases to the court or jury.

Salary Placement
Your application will be used to determine salary placement based on a pay equity assessment. Please ensure you have provided a thorough and updated application as it pertains to the position for which you are applying. For further information, please click on the link Oregon Pay Equity Law for more details.

BENEFITS

Spend more time with your family, friends and get back to doing what you love!

• 11 Paid Holidays + 64 Personal Leave Hours + 2 Floating Holidays + 8 hours of vacation accrual every month + sick leave! Vacation accrual increases with years of service.

$0 Health Insurance Premium!

• Medical, Dental and Vision – cover your whole family without paying a dime.
• The County currently pays up to $10.28 per hour to cover your health benefits ($1,781 a month for a family plan, $21,372 a year).
• In addition, the County contributes up to $1,400 per year to your Health Savings or Reimbursement account!
  • Apart from your deductible you can use this money for things that aren’t traditionally paid by insurance – i.e. Ibuprofen, Tylenol and other preventative type medications.
  • You never lose your Health Savings Account funds as it rolls over from year to year.
• Dependents up to age 26 are covered!

Get ready for retirement. Save money without putting in money!

• After 6 months of employment:
  • The County makes a retirement contribution of 6% of your salary towards Oregon Public Employee Retirement System (PERS)!
    • Deputy District Attorneys fall under the enhanced PERS designation of Police and Fire.
  • The County makes a deferred compensation 457b plan contribution of 3% of your salary! You can add more if you wish.

• Loan Forgiveness eligibility
• The office covers your bar dues and continuing legal education expenses.  We provide opportunities for specialized trainings that fit with the areas of prosecution in which you demonstrate an interest.

A free award-winning wellness program 

• Interactive and personalized approach focused on your whole health
• Onsite and virtual seminars, wellness challenges and fun activities
• Monetary incentives and cool prizes to engage everyone and meet your individual needs

100% employer-paid coverage for AD&D ($100,000), Life ($10,000), and Long Term Disability coverage.

• Supplemental plans are available at reasonable rates!

The first review of applications will be on May 23, 2025.

Applications that are submitted after this date may or may not be considered for interviews. The posting may close without notice after the first review date when a sufficient number of qualified candidates are received.  

Click Here for a complete list of the duties, responsibilities, and physical requirements of the Deputy District Attorney 2 position.

Click Here for a complete list of the duties, responsibilities, and physical requirements of the Deputy District Attorney 1 position.