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").
Edgewater is a borough located along the Hudson River in Bergen County, New Jersey. Its history has featured the founding of the first colony in Bergen County, contribution to the Revolutionary War, a period as a "sleepy, pastoral little town" with resort hotels in the 1800s; industrialization in the early 19th century and transition to residential community in the late 19th century. As of the 2007 Census estimate, the borough had a population of 9,582. Edgewater was originally formed on December 7, 1894, from portions of Ridgefield Township as the Borough of Undercliff, at the height of the "Boroughitis" phenomenon then sweeping through Bergen County. The name was changed to Edgewater on November 8, 1899.