The Framingham Police Department Prosecutor, Lieutenant Robert Downing, is required to appear in Court on a daily basis to submit criminal applications, arrest reports, and criminal motor vehicle citations. The Police Prosecutor signs all criminal complaints under oath before a Clerk Magistrate.
The Prosecutor is also responsible for conducting show-cause hearings, which are held to determine whether probable cause exists to proceed to an arraignment, and motor vehicle citation hearings. The Prosecutor participates in Recovery Court, Veterans Court and juvenile hearings at the Juvenile Court, where the Clerk Magistrate has more discretion in the disposition of cases, such as placing a juvenile on a form of pre-trial probation with stipulations regarding future behavior.
The Prosecutor works with the Middlesex District Attorney's Office in preparing criminal cases and amending criminal complaints based on new and pertinent information.