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").
Cotuit is a village on Cape Cod in the Town of Barnstable, Massachusetts, United States. Located on a peninsula on the south side of Barnstable about midway between Falmouth, Massachusetts and Hyannis, Massachusetts. Cotuit is bounded by the Santuit River to the west on the Mashpee, Massachusetts town line, the villages of Marstons Mills, Massachusetts to the north, and Osterville, Massachusetts to the east, and Nantucket Sound to the south. Cotuit is primarily residential with several small beaches including Ropes Beach, Riley's Beach, The Loop Beach and Oregon Beach. Image:Cotuit Bay 2007 the Tug, Francis Minot. jpg|The Francis Minot Image:Cotuit Ropes Beach 1900s. jpg|Rope's Beach in the 1900s Image:CotuitBaySpring2008. jpg|Rope's Beach looking out onto Cotuit Bay, April 2008