§ 939. Medical assistants in counties of New York and Kings. The
district attorneys of the county of New York and of the county of Kings
are each authorized and empowered to appoint and at pleasure to remove a
medical assistant, who shall be a physician and surgeon, resident of the
county in which he is appointed, and who shall have been for at least
ten years duly licensed to practice medicine in this state. It shall be
the duty of such medical assistant, under the supervision and direction
of the district attorney, to examine into and report on all cases of
suspicious, sudden and unusual death and wounding within the county, and
to perform such duties as the district attorney may direct in connection
with the official duties of such district attorney in the enforcement
and administration of the criminal laws. Such medical assistant shall
have the power and authority, whenever so directed by the district
attorney, to dissect, perform an autopsy upon, or attend an autopsy upon
any dead body of a human being. The salaries of the medical assistants
of the county of New York and of the county of Kings shall be fixed and
determined by the district attorney of New York county and the board of
estimate, respectively, and shall be county charges.