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").
Hinsdale is a town in Cheshire County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 4,082 at the 2000 census. Hinsdale is home to part of Pisgah State Park in the northeast, and part of Wantastiquet Mountain State Forest in the northwest. The oldest continually-operating post office in the United States, established in 1816, is located on Main Street in Hinsdale. The primary settlement in town, where over 41% of the population resides, is defined as the Hinsdale census-designated place (CDP), and is located at the junction of New Hampshire Routes 63 and 119.