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").
Fort Hunter is a hamlet in the town of Florida in Montgomery County, New York, on the Mohawk River at Schoharie Creek. In the 18th century, Fort Hunter was the location of one of the two primary Mohawk settlements. The Mohawk name for the village was rendered variously as Teantontalago, Thienderego, Tionondorage, and Tiononderoga. European colonists called it the "Lower Mohawk Castle", while Canajoharie, the other primary Mohawk village, was known as the "Upper Mohawk Castle". The Dongan Charter gave the city of Albany the right to own 1,000 acres here. In 1711, Albany Mayor Peter Schuyler ordered the construction of Fort Hunter, which contained a chapel and mission house. Queen Anne donated a set of communion silver to the mission. Fort Hunter is the site of the old Schoharie Crossing aqueduct, which crosses Schoharie Creek into the hamlet.