Under state law, commonwealth's attorneys are required to prosecute all felonies. The same is not the case for misdemeanors, a matter of practice that could depend on the size of a city. In Norfolk, for example, the commonwealth's attorney's office handles misdemeanor domestic assaults, DUIs and firearms violations — charges that have to do with "quality of life," Howie said earlier this month. A smaller-sized city might be able to assign a prosecutor.