District Attorney: An American Invention

In England there is no such thing as a district attorney, an official whose job is to prosecute a crime on behalf of the government. Private citizens must do it on their own and pay for it themselves, a significant burden. Fairly early in colonial America's history, however, a different approach develops. Some credit the Dutch colonists of New York with having established the post when they appointed an officer — known as a "schout" — to be both a sheriff and a prosecutor. But other colonies also have someone who prosecutes crime, and there's no known reason for them to have adopted the Dutch system rather than simply devising it themselves. The particular concept of public responsibility that exists in the colonies may account for the innovation. As with other law enforcement positions, this prosecutor is not a professional. He's a local community member performing a civic duty.

British Ships of War Arrive in Boston, 1768