ABOUT FRANKLIN COUNTY MUNICIPAL COURT
The Franklin County Municipal Court is the largest and busiest municipal court in the State of Ohio. The Court has fourteen judges in the General Division and one judge in the Environmental Division. Judges preside over civil, criminal, and traffic cases and conduct both jury and court trials. The Court’s jurisdiction includes traffic cases, misdemeanor criminal cases, and civil cases where the amount at issue is $15,000 or less. The Environmental Division has exclusive jurisdiction to enforce local codes and regulations affecting real property, such as fire and building codes. The geographic jurisdiction of the Court is all of Franklin County and those portions of the City of Columbus that extend beyond the boundaries of Franklin County. Despite its jurisdiction and name, the Franklin County Municipal Court is the judicial branch of the City of Columbus government.
JOB PURPOSE AND OVERVIEW
The Pretrial and Probation Services Department consists of approximately 120 employees. The mission of Pretrial Services is to promote community safety and pretrial success through research-informed recommendations and supervision services that maximize court appearance, remove barriers to fair and efficient justice, and promote harm reduction. The mission of Probation Services is to promote community safety by reducing recidivism, changing offender behavior, and fostering accountability through the effective use of evidence-based practices. Department functions include pretrial, investigation, and supervision services. Supervision structures are determined by risk and need and include all types of cases that are referred by the judges of the Court. Staff operate specialized caseloads including domestic violence, sexual offenses, soliciting, mental health, work release, and electronic monitoring. The probation staff strives to stay current and relevant with the ongoing goal of being an evidence-based organization.
The Community Sanctions Officer position is located within the Community Sanctions Unit of the Probation Department and assists in the areas of Community Service, restitution, provided no convictions (PNC), and Non-Reporting Community Sanctions (NRCS). A Community Sanctions Officer serves as a Community Service Placement Officer, Restitution Officer, PNC, and NRCS officer. This position is under the general direction of the Chief Probation Officer and the immediate direction of the Community Sanctions Supervisor.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
- Promote, model, and abide by the Vision, Mission, policies, and procedures of the Probation Department
- Maintain accurate, current, and thorough documentation and records.
- Contribute to a strong, supportive, and productive team environment.
- Assist in administrative functions that include coordinating and directing the public.
- Assist with data reporting, collection, and analysis.
- Maintain confidentiality of the Court and Probation Department information
- Greet and interact with the public, including Judges, attorneys, clients, and community partners
In a pleasant and professional manner.
- Maintain sensitive and confidential information of the Court and Probation Department
- Possess strong organizational skills.
- Ability to work well under pressure.
- Perform light filing and clerical duties.
- Attend court hearings when necessary.
- Operate various office equipment (phones, personal computer, copier, scanner, etc.).
- Perform other tasks assigned and may fulfill roles of other positions in other departments of the Court as needed.
- Crosstrain and perform job duties of a Community Service Placement Officer, Restitution Officer, Non-Reporting Community Sanctions Officer, and a Provided No Convictions Violations Enforcement Officer as directed.
Community Service Placement Officer
- Complete case intake information, conduct case investigations when required, determine appropriate placement, and refer to a participating agency.
- Schedule work assignments: monitor cases for compliance or noncompliance of community service hours and notify the Court and/or probation officer of compliance issues.
- Monitor and maintain cases assigned to the Community Service Unit that are on a non-reporting or order-in status with the Court.
- Maintain chronological entries of case notes in the docket of the Court’s case management software.
- Review unique and unusual cases for specific direction.
- Prepare a schedule for all Community Service cases.
- Maintain community service provider agency records.
- Maintain a harmonious relationship with approved community service agencies, law enforcement officers, the community, and all Court personnel.
- Interact with court staff to provide them with data and support.
Restitution Officer
- Locate and establish contact with victims of crime, investigate, determine, collect, and disburse restitution monies to the victim(s).
- Maintain a record of payments and disbursements in the Court’s case management software.
- Assist in monitoring all restitution cases.
- Maintain chronological entries of case notes in the docket of the Court’s case management software.
- Review unique and unusual cases for specific direction.
- Conduct new intakes.
- Monitor case progress for completion of restitution payments.
- Interact with court staff to provide them with data and support.
PNC and NRCS Officer
- Monitor for new charges, convictions, and other non-compliance on cases placed on PNC and NRCS status.
- Distribute Notices of Pending Charges and Case Dispositions Forms to probation staff.
- Secure disposition entries from Municipal and Common Pleas Courts on new conviction cases.
- Prepare PNC and Statement of Violations as directed by the Unit Supervisor and per Department standards.
- Log new clients, conduct intake procedures on PNC or NRCS, and note any specific monitoring instructions provided by the Court.
- Maintain harmonious relationships with judges, bailiffs, attorneys, probation staff, the community, and clients.
QUALIFICATIONS AND REQUIREMENTS
- A high school diploma is required.
- One year of experience in courts, corrections, behavioral health, or a related field.
- Knowledge of common office practices, procedures, and equipment.
- Proficiency in operating a personal computer and using, or being able to learn, Microsoft Office products such as Word, Outlook, Excel, and the Court’s case management software.
- An ability to type with speed and accuracy and to use a personal computer for entering data, filling in form letters, and printing documents; read and copy records precisely; arrange items in alphabetical or numerical order; assess questions and provide information; complete routine forms; and lift up to ten (10) pounds.
- Highly organized, detail-oriented, and able to function in a high-volume, high-stress environment.
- Ability to effectively and professionally communicate verbally and in written form, English to diverse audiences.
- Ability to receive feedback, willingness to learn, and embrace continuous improvement.
- Pleasant personality and ability to interact and maintain effective working relationships with judges, employees, and others conducting business with the Court.
- Ability to work in a collaborative, team environment.
- Conscious of and sensitive to the diversity within the Court’s jurisdiction and able to interact professionally with this diverse population of people from many different geographic, socioeconomic, religious, racial, and ethnic backgrounds on a regular basis.
- Professional appearance and demeanor appropriate for all positions and the work environment expected of the court.
- Demonstrated dependability, reliability, and excellent attendance record.
- Excellent time-management skills, ability to prioritize work, ability to work independently, and ability to work under time constraints.
- Patience, objectivity, maturity, effectiveness under stress, initiative, and adaptability.
- This position requires the successful completion of the screening process and passage of tests for Law Enforcement Automated Data System (LEADS), the Ohio Law Enforcement Gateway (OHLEG) and National Crime Information Center (NCIC), which includes Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and Interstate Identification Information Systems (III), functions. Certification testing will be required following the hire and the orientation program.
- Maintain a valid Ohio driver’s license.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Three (3) years of experience relating to probation, pretrial, parole, or the community supervision of defendants.
- Successful completion of the state’s probation officer certification standard.
- Additional consideration will be given to individuals who have any of the following qualifications: an associate degree, a bachelor’s degree, a paralegal certification, or other advanced schooling; an understanding of legal terminology and procedures; the ability to speak and write Spanish or a language commonly used by people of Somalia for whom English is a second language; or proficiency in American Sign Language (ASL).
BENEFITS
The Franklin County Municipal Court offers an excellent benefits package that includes medical, prescription, vision, dental, and life insurance; short-term disability; generous vacation, sick and personal leave; 11 paid holidays; longevity service payments; sick-leave reciprocity; employee assistance and deferred-compensation programs; tuition reimbursement; and credit-union membership.
Court employees are members of the Ohio Public Employees Retirement System, which provides retirement, disability, and survivor benefits for public employees. The Court pays the required employer 14 percent of the employee’s salary. Court employees do not have Social Security taxes withheld from their paychecks because they are members of OPERS.
COURT EXPECTATIONS OF EMPLOYEE
In completing the duties and responsibilities of the position, the Court expects the employee will adhere to all Court policies, guidelines, practices, and procedures; act as a role model both inside and outside the Court; perform duties as workload necessitates in a timely, accurate and thorough manner and be conscientious about meeting department productivity standards; and communicate regularly with the supervisor about department issues.
AT-WILL EMPLOYMENT
Employees of the Court are at-will employees and serve at the pleasure of the Court; they are not in the classified civil service system and are not members of bargaining units.
EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER
The Court is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate based on age, gender, religion, race, color, national origin, ancestry, sexual orientation, disability, military status, or genetic information.
