Massachusetts General Laws
Chapter 12 - Department of the Attorney General, and the District Attorneys
Section 12 - District Attorneys; Qualifications; Election; Term; Appearances

Section 12. There shall be a district attorney for each district set forth in the following section, who shall be a resident therein and a member of the bar of the commonwealth and shall be elected as provided by section one hundred and fifty-four of chapter fifty-four. He shall serve for four years beginning with the first Wednesday of January after his election and until his successor is qualified.
The district attorney shall appear for a county constituting such district in all civil actions in which such county is a party under the provisions of chapter two hundred and fifty-eight.

Structure Massachusetts General Laws

Massachusetts General Laws

Part I - Administration of the Government

Title II - Executive and Administrative Officers of the Commonwealth

Chapter 12 - Department of the Attorney General, and the District Attorneys

Section 1 - Attorney General; Supervision of Department; Salary; Qualifications; Other Sources of Income

Section 2 - Assistants and Employees; Appointment; Duties; Compensation; Tenure; Vacancies

Section 2a - Attorney General; Disability; Filling Vacancies

Section 2b - Annual Personnel Report

Section 3 - Appearances for Commonwealth, Prosecution or Defense; Rendering of Legal Services; Payment of Expenses for Representation of Department of Transportation

Section 3e - Defense of Actions Against Officers or Employees

Section 4 - Claims of Commonwealth; Enforcement

Section 4a - Acceptance of Gifts or Grants of Money or Property

Section 5 - Civil Actions to Recover Money for Commonwealth

Section 5a - False Claims; Definitions Applicable to Secs. 5a to 5o

Section 5b - False Claims; Liability

Section 5c - Violations Under Secs. 5b to 5o; Investigation by Attorney General; Relators; Civil Actions

Section 5d - Prosecution by Attorney General; Relator's Right to Continue as Party to Action

Section 5e - Alternate Remedies Available to Determine Civil Penalty

Section 5f - Payments to Relators; Limitations

Section 5g - Actions Brought Against Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Treasurer, Secretary of State, etc.; Jurisdiction

Section 5h - Money Recovered by Commonwealth; False Claims Prosecution Fund

Section 5i - Awards of Attorney General Fees and Expenses; Awards of Costs and Attorney Fees Against Relators; Liability

Section 5j - Employers Preventing Employees From Acting to Further False Claim Actions; Liability

Section 5k - Limitation of Actions; Intervention by Attorney General; Final Judgments in Criminal Proceedings

Section 5l - Preponderance of the Evidence Standard

Section 5m - Rules, Regulations or Guidelines; Attorney General

Section 5n - Civil Investigative Demands; Attorney General

Section 5o - Agency Reporting Requirements

Section 6 - Consultation With and Giving of Advice and Assistance to District Attorneys

Section 6a - Conferences of District Attorneys and Other Officials; Notification as to New Laws

Section 7 - Persons Intruding on Land, Property or Rights of Commonwealth; Prosecution

Section 8 - Due Application of Charity Funds Enforced

Section 8a - Definitions Applicable to Secs. 8a to 8m

Section 8b - Division of Public Charities; Duties

Section 8c - Director of Public Charities; Designation

Section 8d - Employees; Appointment and Removal

Section 8e - Charitable Corporations; Registration by Filing of Information; Exceptions; Penalties; Enforcement

Section 8f - Annual Reports of Public Charities; Financial Statements; Fees; Penalties; Enforcement

Section 8g - Attorney General as a Party; Service

Section 8h - Investigations by Attorney General

Section 8i - Compliance With Investigations; Enforcement; Penalties

Section 8j - Rules and Regulations

Section 8k - Gift for Public Charitable Purpose; Presumed Intention

Section 8l - Fiscal Records

Section 8m - Public Records; Inspection

Section 8n - Fees, Costs, Penalties and Other Monies; General Fund

Section 9 - Advice and Aid to General Court and Committees

Section 10 - Violations of Court Orders; Restraint of Trade; Institution of Investigations and Appropriate Actions

Section 11 - Annual Report of Cases Handled

Section 11a - Division of Civil Rights and Liberties

Section 11b - Board of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws; Obscene Literature Commission

Section 11c - Narcotic and Harmful Drugs; Training Program for Law Enforcement Officers

Section 11d - Division of Environmental Protection

Section 11e - Public Utilities; Office of Ratepayer Advocacy; Intervention in Legal Proceedings on Behalf of Consumers; Expenditure of Funds; Expert or Consultant; Information Requests

Section 11f - Insurance Companies; Intervention in Legal Proceedings on Behalf of Consumers; Expenditure of Funds

Section 11g - Local Consumer Aid Fund; Eligibility for Assistance

Section 11h - Violations of Constitutional Rights; Civil Actions by Attorney General; Venue; Compensatory Damages; Fees and Costs; Civil Penalties

Section 11i - Violations of Constitutional Rights; Civil Actions by Aggrieved Persons; Costs and Fees

Section 11j - Violations of Constitutional Rights; Temporary Restraining Orders and Injunctions; Violations; Punishment; Vacation of Order

Section 11k - Division of Victim Compensation and Assistance

Section 11l - Unlicensed Mental Health and Unlicensed Health Professionals; Sexual Contact With Patients or Clients; Temporary Restraining Order, Injunction; Violation; Penalty

Section 11m - Division of Gaming Enforcement

Section 11n - Monitoring Health Care Market Trends; Investigation of Unfair Methods of Competition or Anti-Competitive Behavior; Exemption or Waiver From Federal Law

Section 12 - District Attorneys; Qualifications; Election; Term; Appearances

Section 13 - Districts for Administration of Criminal Law or Defense of Civil Actions

Section 15 - Practice of Law Prohibited; Salary

Section 16 - Salaries of Assistant District Attorneys

Section 18 - Appointment of an Assistant to District Attorney; Compensation

Section 19 - Suffolk District; Appointment of Messengers and Other Employees

Section 20 - Additional Legal Assistants; Tenure; Compensation; Powers

Section 20a - Suffolk and Northern Districts; Special Assistant District Attorney, Appointment and Removal; Duties; Power; Salary

Section 20c - Special Assistant District Attorneys; Appointment, Removal and Salary; Participation in Federal Demonstration Programs

Section 20d - District Attorneys Association; Executive Director; Report on Criminally Prosecuted Child Abuse and Neglect Cases

Section 21 - Suffolk District; Police and Detective Service

Section 22 - Clerical and Stenographic Workers

Section 23 - Payment for Traveling Expenses; Exceptions

Section 24 - Expenses Payable by Commonwealth

Section 25 - Advanced Expenses; Conditions; Vouchers

Section 25a - Advance of Expenses Necessary in Performance of Duties; Limitation; Accounting; Unexpended Balance

Section 26 - Court Appointment of Substitute in Absence of Attorney General and District Attorney

Section 27 - District Attorneys; Duties; Control of Attorney General

Section 28 - Suits on Recognizances; Discontinuance

Section 29 - Accounting for Fees, Bills of Costs and Money Received

Section 30 - Fees for Services in Performance of Duty; Appearance in Civil Action

Section 32 - Community Based Juvenile Justice Programs; District Attorneys

Section 33 - Domestic Violence and Sexual Violence Training Program for District Attorneys and Assistant District Attorneys

Section 34 - Pre-Arraignment Diversion Program

Section 35 - Student Loan Ombudsman