In a criminal case, the state, through a prosecutor, initiates the suit, while in a civil case the victim brings the suit. Persons convicted of a crime may be incarcerated, fined, or both. Criminal defense attorneys represent clients who have been accused of committing a crime, and defend their rights at each stage of a misdemeanor or felony case -- from an arrest to an appeal after conviction. Criminal defense attorneys may be hired privately or provided by the government (called "public defenders").
Red Cliff (sometimes spelled Redcliff) is a Statutory Town in Eagle County, Colorado, United States. The population was 289 at the 2000 census. The town is a former mining camp that has staged a modest recovery in recent years as a low-key counterculture mountain community. It is situated in the canyon of the upper Eagle River just off U.S. Highway 24 north of Tennessee Pass. The town site is somewhat concealed from the highway (which passes over the Red Cliff Truss Bridge near the town) and is accessible by a side road that leads up to Shrine Pass in the Sawatch Range. It was founded in 1879 during the early days of the Colorado Silver Boom by miners from Leadville who came over Tennessee Pass scouting for better prospects. The name derives from the red quartzite cliffs surrounding the town. As the first white community in the Eagle Valley, it served temporarily as the first county seat of Eagle County (formed out of Summit County in 1883) until the relocation of the county seat to Eagle in 1921. The town today consists of a cluster of older homes and converted trailers on the flanks of the canyon around the river, as well as a post office, a historic church and numerous older wooden structures along the main street of the town. Several of the older structures have been converted in recent years into modern businesses, including a restaurant. The town is located within easy driving distance of nearby ski areas and the revival of the town has given rise to a new inn housed in one of the downtown structures. In winter, the town also serves as a popular access point to Shrine Pass for cross-country skiers. In recent years, a car shuttle has operated between the town and nearby Vail, allowing visitors to Vail easy access to the pass. In 2008, the Town of Minturn annexed around 4,000 acres for a proposed Battle Mountain Resort, which also included the abandoned mining town of Gilman. With the expansion, Minturn is now Red Cliff's immediate neighbor to the north. The expansion of Minturn and propsed development will significantly impact the future potential development of Red Cliff.