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").
Sherman is the northernmost and least populous town of Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 3,827 at the 2000 census. The town is named for New Haven's Founding Father, Roger Sherman. Sherman has been named "Best Small Town in Connecticut" three times by Connecticut Magazine. The Appalachian Trail goes through the northern end of Sherman. Part of Squantz Pond State Park is in the town. Sherman has one area on the National Register of Historic Places: The Sherman Historic District, bounded roughly by the intersection of Old Greenswood Road and Route 37, northeast past the intersection of Route 37 East and Route 39 North and Sawmill Road. The district was added to the National Register on August 31, 1991. Sherman is the only town in Fairfield County in the 860 area code; the remainder of the county is served by the area code 203/area code 475 overlay.