The attorney-general is a lawyer who is elected to do law business
for the State. He must appear in court as counsel for the State in
every case in which the commonwealth (meaning the whole people) is
interested. The commonwealth is interested in every case of crime,
because it is for the interest or well-being of the people that
those who commit crime should be punished. If this were not done--
if criminals, persons who commit murder or burglary or theft--were
not arrested and punished, no man's life or property would be
safe. The attorney-general must appear and act for the
commonwealth in any of the courts above mentioned whenever there
is a case in any of them in which the people of the State are
interested.

Depending or pending with reference to a case means that the case
is in court waiting to be tried or decided. (For information as to
Supreme Court of Appeals and Circuit Court of the City of
Richmond, mentioned above, see under Judiciary Department.)

The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court of the
United States. Its members or judges are appointed by the
President and hold office for life, and it sits at Washington and
tries cases in which any person or persons are accused of
violating the Constitution of the United States. The members of
the district and circuit courts of the United States are also
appointed by the President. These courts sit in various districts
of States, and try cases in which persons are accused of violating
the laws of the United States--that is, the laws made by Congress.

The word circuit means a going round. A district in which the same