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").
Afton is a city in Washington County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 2,839 at the 2000 census. It is located on a small bay where Valley Creek empties into the St. Croix River several miles north of the confluence with the Mississippi River. Afton is well known for Afton Alps, the largest ski and snowboard area in the Twin Cities metropolitan area. It is also home to Afton State Park, a popular park on the St. Croix River. Due to these two destinations and the quaint small-town appearance in a major metropolitan area, Afton receives a fair amount of local tourism in the form of day trips.