Salary: $184,728.20 Annually
Location : Oak Harbor, WA
Job Type: Full Time Regular
Job Number: 2024-045
Department: District Court
Opening Date: 05/16/2024
Closing Date: Continuous
Summary

The successful applicant shall have such power, authority, and jurisdiction in criminal and civil matters as the appointing judges possess, except that when serving as a commissioner, the commissioner does not have authority to preside over trials in criminal matters, or jury trials in civil matters unless agreed to on the record by all parties. The judges and commissioner of Island County District Court perform judicial duties for City of Oak Harbor; City of Langley and Town of Coupeville courts are on call for search warrant applications. In addition, the judges and commissioner are on call weekends on a rotating basis to determine probable cause for arrests made since the last court calendar.
Position is open until filled.
Job Duties

• Preside over criminal and civil matters except trials in criminal matters and jury trials in civil matters unless agreed to on the record by all parties.
• Perform judicial duties for City of Oak Harbor, City of Langley and the Town of Coupeville, municipal courts.
• Responsible for review and ruling on ex parte matters.
• On call for search warrant applications as scheduled.
• Perform weekend probable cause for arrest determination at the Island County Jail as scheduled.
• Perform other job-related duties as assigned by the Presiding Judge.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

The general qualifications of a district court commissioner are more fully set forth in RCW 3.42:

• Applicant shall be a registered voter of Island County and shall hold office at the pleasure of appointing judges.
• Applicant must be admitted to the practice of law in the State of Washington.

Requires knowledge of:

• Legal principles and precedents and their application.
• Statutory and constitutional law of the State of Washington, particularly the District Court Rules and Local Court Rules of Island County District Court.
• Principles related to civil and criminal law.

Requires the ability to:

• Present statements of fact and law and communicate clearly and logically in written and oral form.
• Define and analyze issues, perform legal research, evaluate alternatives and make appropriate findings and/or rulings.
• Prepare clear and concise decisions.
• Effectively represent the court in contacts with the public, attorneys, law enforcement agencies and other government entities.
• Establish and maintain cooperative working relationships.
• Ability to accept work assignments and impromptu scheduling.
• Maintain appropriate demeanor and courtroom decorum under a variety of courtroom settings.
• Willingness to conform with and adapt to a variety of court procedures and judicial styles.
• Effective communication skills.

Education, Experience & Certifications

• Licensed attorney in good standing with the Washington State Bar Association.

Island County is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
Island County offers a wide range of employee benefits designed to meet the diverse needs of our workforce. Eligible positions receive the following benefits and have access to the following programs:
Medical: Island County pays 100% of the premiums for eligible employees and dependents. In addition, the County provides an annual Health Reimbursement Arrangement (HRA) or Health Savings Account (HSA) contribution (determined by Medical plan selected).
Dental: Island County pays 100% of the premiums for eligible employees and family members for basic dental coverage (buy-up options are available).
Vision: Vision coverage is included in one Medical plan and another option is available at employee expense.
Life and Disability Insurance: Employees are provided basic coverage of $24,000 and given the opportunity to purchase additional insurance for both the employee and eligible dependents.
Retirement: Island County employees participate in a pension plan through the Washington State Department of Retirement Systems (additional 457(b) deferred-compensation plans are also available).
Life Flight: Island County pays 100% of the premium for emergency air transport coverage.
11 paid holidays each year
Generous paid time off and Washington-required sick leave
Flexible Spending Account (optional)
Wellness programs
Employee assistance program
Pet Insurance (optional - employee paid)
Student debt? Working for Island County can provide relief!
Island County is a qualifying employer for the Public Service Forgiveness Program (PSLF) for full time employees. See for more details.
This is a general description of the benefits offered to eligible Island County employees, and every effort has been made to ensure accuracy. If any information on this document conflicts with the provisions of a Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), the CBA prevails.