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").
Avon is a town in the Farmington Valley region of Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. As of 2005, the town has an estimated total population of 17,209. Avon is a suburb of Hartford. Avon Old Farms School, a prestigious boarding school, is located there. In 2005, Avon was named the third-safest town in America by Money Magazine. It is home to the Pine Grove School House, which was built in 1865 and remains open today as a museum. Avon is home to Avon High School; as well as two elementary schools, Pine Grove Elementary and Roaring Brook Elementary; an intermediate (grades 5-6) school, Thompson Brook; and a middle school (grades 7-8), Avon Middle School. One of the worst traffic accidents in Connecticut history occurred at the intersection of US 44 and Route 10 at the foot of Avon Mountain. This occurred on July 29, 2005 when a runaway dump truck plowed into many stopped vehicles, causing four deaths. Governor M. Jodi Rell has since proposed safety improvements for this road A second, nonfatal crash occurred at the same location on September 7, 2007 when a runaway truck crashed into Nassau's Furniture store . Since these accidents, a run-away truck ramp has been built to avoid future fatalities.