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").
Weston is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 10,037 at the 2000 census. The town is serviced by Route 57 and Route 53, both of which run through the town center. About 19% of the town's workforce commutes to New York City, about 45 miles (70 km) to the south west. Like many towns in Southwestern Connecticut, Weston is among the most affluent communities in the United States. Data collected in 2008 showed that Weston had the highest median household income in Fairfield County, US$185,377. Weston's ZIP code (06883) was identified in 2005 as the sixth most affluent one in the U.S. Weston has no commercial development except for a handful of stores that form the town’s center. Residential development is limited by two-acre zoning. Most of Devil's Den Preserve, a 1,746-acre (707 ha) nature reserve, which gets 40,000 visits a year, is located in the town.