Who'll Be The Next Contra Costa County DA? Application Period Ending

CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA -- People who'd like to become Contra Costa County's top law enforcement officer have until the end of business today, July 21, to submit their applications, according to county officials.

The Board of Supervisors will publicly review applications for the vacant district attorney job at its Aug. 1 meeting in Martinez and will select finalists, who will be invited to a public forum on Aug. 15.

The newly minted district attorney, normally an elected position, will serve the remainder of the term left vacant by Mark Peterson, who left the job in disgrace after pleading guilty to a charge of perjury in June.

The board is expected to make its final decision on Sept. 12, "or soon thereafter," according to a description of the job posted on a county website.

Whoever the Board of Supervisors appoints will serve until Jan. 7, 2019. After that, the job will go to the winner of a countywide election planned for November 2018.

According to the county's job description, the district attorney will enjoy an annual salary of $258,180 and will oversee a department of about 205 people.

They will also be eligible for a $600 monthly car allowance, a $12,000 annual county deferred compensation plan, and $60,000 in term life insurance, among other benefits.

The district attorney is responsible for prosecuting all felonies, misdemeanors, juvenile criminal offences and certain civil offences, including violations of the state's Political Reform Act, which is the law upon which Peterson ultimately skewered himself.

In December 2016, Peterson was fined $45,000 by the Fair Political Practices Commission for his admitted violations of the law, which included spending more than $66,000 from his campaign funds on personal expenses.

In May, a civil grand jury said Peterson should be removed from office because his conduct amounted to "willful or corrupt misconduct in office."

On June 14, as Peterson was set to attend a rare civil trail over the grand jury accusations, state prosecutors filed 12 felony counts of perjury and one felony count of grand theft against him.

Rather than face trail, he agreed to plead guilty to one count of perjury and leave office immediately.

• Contra Costa Co. DA Resigns, Pleads Guilty To Perjury
  
• 'Embarrassed' Contra Costa District Attorney Fined For Breaking Law

Currently, the county's prosecutors are being led by Chief Assistant District Attorney Doug McMaster.

Anyone wishing to throw their hat into the ring can download the application at the county's jobs website at
Governmentjobs.com/careers/contracosta.

By Bay City News Service

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