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").
East Hampton is a town in Middlesex County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 13,352 at the 2000 census. East Hampton includes the villages of Cobalt, Middle Haddam, and Lake Pocotopaug. The southern trailhead of the Shenipsit Trail is in Cobalt, and the Airline State Park has its southern trailhead in East Hampton, at Smith Street. The 884-acre (358 ha) Hurd State Park, Meshomasic State Forest and Salmon River State Forest are located in town. Comstock Covered Bridge, the only remaining covered bridge in eastern Connecticut, spans the Salmon River near Route 16 in East Hampton. The Chatham Historical Society Museum and the Joseph N. Goff House Museum and Cultural Center are located in the town.