Section 20D. The district attorneys may appoint a suitable person to serve as executive director to the Massachusetts District Attorneys Association for the purpose of promoting prosecutorial resources and improving prosecutorial functions through the coordination and standardization of services and programs, together with providing information, technical assistance and educational services to ensure standardization in organization, goals, operations and procedures. The executive director may expend such funds as are appropriated therefor, together with additional funds from federal grants and other contributions that may be made available for these purposes, and may hire such professional assistants as shall be authorized. The executive director shall devote his time during ordinary business hours to his duties and shall neither directly nor indirectly engage in the practice of law.

Terms Used In Massachusetts General Laws ch. 12 sec. 20D

  • Joint committee: Committees including membership from both houses of teh legislature. Joint committees are usually established with narrow jurisdictions and normally lack authority to report legislation.
  • Prosecute: To charge someone with a crime. A prosecutor tries a criminal case on behalf of the government.

The executive director shall annually report on the status of child abuse and neglect cases that have been referred for criminal prosecution, including the number prosecuted, the results of those prosecutions, the principal reason for decisions not to prosecute, and what resources would have assisted in those investigations and prosecutions. The report shall be filed with the clerks of the senate and the house, the senate and the house committees on ways and means, the joint committee on children, families and persons with disabilities, the joint committee on the judiciary, the child advocate, and the governor.

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