Criminal Investigator 2 - Wrongful Conviction Project

The Office of the Ohio Public Defender (OPD) is the state agency responsible for providing legal representation and other services to people accused or convicted of a crime who cannot afford to hire an attorney.

• Our Mission: Advocating. Fighting. Helping.
• Our Vision:    A Fair Justice System.
• Our Values:   Compassion. Dignity. Equity. Integrity. Service. Community.

We are committed to building a work environment where all team members have a voice and can embrace our differences to innovate service to the public in our pursuit of fairness and justice for all people.

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The OPD is seeking a dedicated professional to serve as the fact investigator for the Wrongful Conviction Project (WCP). The WCP is dedicated to identifying, investigating, and litigating cases of actual innocence for incarcerated people in Ohio. The Project also works to educate others on the causes and consequences of wrongful convictions and advocate for policy reform. 

As the sole fact investigator for the WCP, you will work with a team of attorneys, a paralegal, and student interns who make up a motivated, highly-collaborative team. The position will be based in Columbus, Ohio, and requires regular travel within the state. Job duties include providing a thorough investigation in an ethical and honest manner, to ensure quality representation of indigent clients. You will work independently and with a team, regularly interacting with attorneys, core support staff, student interns, and with clients, witnesses, and experts. In this position, you will conduct in-depth field investigations of high-level felony and complex innocence cases by investigating the facts and circumstances of the alleged offense(s) and the client’s or potential client’s background. You will synthesize information gathered in investigations and recommend how to develop and present themes and theories to courts. Candidates should demonstrate a commitment to justice and to the goals, mission and values of the WCP and the Office of the Ohio Public Defender.

The successful candidate will have passion for working with our diverse clientele who are facing the challenges of wrongful conviction, incarceration, and reentry. The successful candidate will also be detail oriented, a meticulous recordkeeper, and have strong interpersonal skills. The preferred candidate will have experience conducting fact investigations and helping to pursue a fair justice system.

This position requires you to travel throughout the state of Ohio, and occasionally requires travel outside the state. Weekly car travel average is two days a week but is variable and can be more depending on need. The agency maintains a fleet of vehicles for you to reserve; use of a fleet vehicle requires evidence of valid driver’s license and personal auto insurance coverage. 

Essential duties performed by the position include but are not limited to:

• Investigate the facts and circumstances of the alleged offense(s), gather and analyze records, gather documentation to support the testimony of expert and lay witnesses, and obtain and notarize affidavits and gather and organize physical documentary evidence.
• Travel throughout Ohio and outside the state as necessary to locate, interview, and investigate witnesses, evidence, materials, and records; Identify, locate, contact and interview suspects, claimants, family members, employees and coworkers, medical or psychological service providers, attorneys, and federal, state and municipal agencies to obtain information pertaining to the case; assist with transporting witnesses. 
• Prepare complex reports of interviews and findings and prepare detailed timelines for use in case preparations and presentations.
• Consult with internal and external attorneys and experts to develop trial, postconviction, and appellate sentencing phase themes and theories of the case; assist with preparing witnesses or clients for testimony.
• Obtain and analyze other anecdotal and documentary evidence relevant to the client's history and their environmental and cultural background. 
• Lead brainstorming and strategizing discussions. 
• Assist in providing educational experiences for student interns: meets with interns to develop investigation plans, delegates tasks, and monitors completion of tasks. 
• Testify in court regarding findings: present findings of the investigations to attorneys and experts; acts as liaison with clients’ families, law enforcement and other administrative agencies to transmit vital information.
• Provide re-entry support for released clients: coordinates with attorneys, identifies appropriate community services and resources related to housing, benefits, healthcare (including mental health services), financial assistance, employment, and drug/alcohol intervention.

The Criminal Investigator 2 Position is assigned to the State of Ohio’s OCSEA Pay Schedule Pay Range 31, presented below in table format. Starting pay will be at Step 1 unless required by contract/legislation; candidates with exceptional qualifications may be considered for higher starting pay. Our steps give a standard path for earnings growth: you move to the next step after six months and annually thereafter. We typically have fiscal year Cost of Living Adjustments as well.

Fy26 Pay Range

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

Step 4

Step 5

Step 6

Step 7

Hourly

$27.92

$29.22

$30.55

$31.88

$33.52

$35.15

$36.90

Annual

$58,074

$60,778

$63,544

$66,310

$69,722

$73,112

$76,752

The Office of the Ohio Public Defender complies with federal and state disability laws and makes reasonable accommodations for applicants and employees with disabilities. If reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, please contact us at 614-466-5394 or HCM@opd.ohio.gov.

At the State of Ohio, we take care of the team that cares for Ohioans. We provide a variety of quality, competitive benefits to eligible full-time and part-time employees*. For a list of all the State of Ohio Benefits, visit our Total Rewards website! Our benefits package includes:

• Medical Coverage
• Free Dental, Vision and Basic Life Insurance premiums after completion of eligibility period
• Paid time off, including vacation, personal, sick leave and 11 paid holidays per year
• Childbirth, Adoption, and Foster Care leave
• Education and Development Opportunities (Employee Development Funds, Public Service Loan Forgiveness, and more)
• Public Retirement Systems (such as OPERS, STRS, SERS, and HPRS) & Optional Deferred Compensation (Ohio Deferred Compensation)

*Benefits eligibility is dependent on a number of factors. The Agency Contact listed above will be able to provide specific benefits information for this position.

• 12 mos. exp. in conducting criminal investigations of felonies & misdemeanors or claim fraud. 
• -Or 24 mos. exp. in conducting investigations of complaints & possible violations of laws & rules or agency/company policies & procedures. 
• -Or 12 mos. exp. as Criminal Investigator 1, 26121. 
• -Or equivalent of Minimum Class Qualifications For Employment noted above. 
• Job Skills: Investigation, Building Trust, Attention to Detail, Organizing and Planning, Customer Focus, Decision Making

Intentional omission of relevant information, falsification, or misrepresentation of information on the application will disqualify the applicant. In addition, such intentional acts are grounds for immediate termination of an employee. 

Final candidates selected for this position will be required to undergo a drug test. An applicant with a positive test result will not be offered employment. Final candidates selected for this position will be required to undergo a criminal background check. Criminal convictions do not necessarily preclude an applicant from consideration for a position. An individual assessment of an applicant's prior criminal convictions will be made before excluding an applicant from consideration. 

Requires travel; may require overnight travel; employees in this position must possess personal auto to be used during investigations if necessary; may be exposed to hostile and violent persons; must provide own transportation.

Ohio is a Disability Inclusion State and strives to be a model employer of individuals with disabilities. The State of Ohio is committed to providing access and inclusion and reasonable accommodation in its services, activities, programs and employment opportunities in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and other applicable laws.

The State of Ohio is a drug-free workplace which prohibits the use of marijuana (recreational marijuana/non-medical cannabis). Please note, this position may be subject to additional restrictions pursuant to the State of Ohio Drug-Free Workplace Policy (HR-39), and as outlined in the posting.