Federal Public Defender Assistant Investigator

[msho24]

Hey guys. I have an interview coming up for the Federal Public Defender's Assistant Investigator position. I was curious to know what you guys think of this position. Essentially, the goal is to pursue a career in law enforcement and work up to federal law enforcement. Do you guys think this position would help me get my foot in the door and acquire some good experience for a future LE job?

[GoldBadge]

It's kinda working for the other side. It's valuable work experience as a starter job, but some feds would hold their nose while looking at your resume.

[msho24]

You know what you guys are not the first to tell me this. I am currently working in juvenile corrections for 2 years and I am ready to get in the field and pursue a career in law enforcement. However, nothing has come up yet. I have heard that many feel this position can make you look tainted.

[Iowa #1603]

I really doubt that they will hire someone without extensive investigative experience.

Other than that -----OUR local Federal Public Defender's office has a pretty good reputation within the LE community . But like stated above, I don't see an investigators job with them as being a resume BUILDER. It's more of a semi retirement job for someone with experience

[tanksoldier]

^^^ Usually the DA and PD investigators have previous investigative experience,. The two PD investigators I've met weren't former cops, they were civilian insurance investigators previously. Cops usually don't want to work for that side. In Colorado the PD investigators aren't considered peace officers.

[Iowa #1603]

In Colorado the PD investigators aren't considered peace officers.

IF the PD even has investigators in Iowa they would NOT be peace officers either. I don't know of any DA investigators in the state either. They (DA's) use the cops as their investigators

[beachcop05]

My state has DA investigators which are considered peace officers.

[MDPOLICE]

I guess this will be your new office.

[SuperSecretNinjaSquirrel]

[California] has DA investigators which are considered peace officers.

In addition to the quoted statement above, in my experience, a number of said investigators have already had street experience with other law enforcement agencies prior to moving into an investigative role.

[MargeGunderson]

It is incedibly annoying when the PDs waste everyone's time by putting on the Dog and Pony Show for a throw away case. It is no longer about "competent representation" and turns into just being a dick.

Funny, I'd always thought that our Constitution assures us of a fair trial. Somehow that morphed into the accused being entitled, at our expense, to "the best defense using any means necessary, fair or not, reasonable or not, and regardless how many innocent people you knowingly have to publicly vilify by falsely implying they committed the crime (and/or destroying the victim's reputation to intimidate him or her to not testify) and how much obvious evidence of your client's guilt you have to fight to keep the jury from knowing."

"Fair" sort of implies that everyone gets equal treatment, meaning the victims should also have a fair trial, with all of the evidence available. Digging up dirt, true or not, related or not, to destroy and humiliate the victim doesn't sound too fair.

A tax-paid (only for indigent) attorney carefully looking over all of the evidence, making sure the client isn't being railroaded or intimidated, and sure, infuriating as it is to us, even attempt to put up some mitigating information about the five minutes of good the client has managed in his or her life sounds fair and reasonable.

But the increasingly expensive to us dog-and-pony show Tick references, is a travesty and an insult to the LEOs that risk their lives and personal comfort to round up these feces stains, then endure grueling hours of paperwork to make sure every last detail is in place to prevent the dog-and-pony show.

(I know, and just think if I'd had my usual amount of caffeine! Going to calm down now with a maple doughnut.)