1-A.__Appointment.__The district attorneys must be appointed by the county commissioners of the respective prosecutorial districts.

2. Qualifications. Only attorneys admitted to the general practice of law in this State and who reside in the prosecutorial district may be elected or appointed district attorney. Removal from the prosecutorial district vacates the office.

3. Term of office. The term of office for a district attorney is 4 years, except when one is elected appointed to fill out an unexpired term, in which case it is for the remainder of the unexpired term.

Sec. 12. 30-A MRSA §252, as amended by PL 1995, c. 245, §5, is further amended to read:

§252. Vacancies in office

A vacancy in the office of district attorney, because of expiration of the term of office, death, permanent incapacity, removal from office under section 257, removal from the prosecutorial district, or otherwise, shall be is filled under this section, except as provided in section 253.

1. Vacancies caused by expiration of the term. Vacancies occurring by expiration of the term of office shall must be filled by election appointment in that year as provided in section 251.

2. Vacancies caused by other reasons. When no person is elected or a vacancy happens in the office of district attorney, other than as provided in subsection 1, the Governor county commissioners of the prosecutorial districts shall appoint a competent attorney, a resident of the prosecutorial district affected, to serve as a substitute district attorney until the first day of January following the next biennial election. At that election, a A person shall must be elected appointed to the office of district attorney to serve for the remainder of the unexpired term. When the office of district attorney becomes vacant after the first day of October in the 2nd year after the election of a district attorney under section 251, a new election