Section 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.