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").
Stone Harbor is a borough in Cape May County, New Jersey, United States. It is part of the Ocean City Metropolitan Statistical Area. It shares the barrier island, Seven Mile Island with its northern neighbor Avalon. Development began in the late 19th century as a beach resort along a railroad line which has since been replaced by a traffic island along the length of Second Avenue. It continues as a resort community for visitors enjoying beaches and a thriving commercial center centered along 96th Street and 2nd Avenue, bringing in a summer population in excess of 20,000. As of the United States 2000 Census, the borough had a year-round population of 1,128. In 2006, Forbes magazine ranked Stone Harbor (08247) as #47 on its list of the most expensive zip codes in the United States, based on median home sale prices. As of 2001, Worth Magazine put Stone Harbor at #101 on its list of the Richest Towns in America, which was based on median annual real estate prices. Most vacationers come from New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York, Connecticut, Maryland, Delaware, and Quebec. It was ranked the tenth best beach in New Jersey in the 2008 Top 10 Beaches Contest sponsored by the New Jersey Marine Sciences Consortium. Stone Harbor was incorporated as a borough by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on April 3, 1914, from portions of Middle Township, based on the results of a referendum held on April 28, 1914. The borough gained a portion of Avalon on December 27, 1941.