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").
Grahamsville is an unincorporated hamlet at the junction of NY 42 and 55 in the Town of Neversink, in Sullivan County, New York, USA. It is near the western end of Rondout Reservoir, and is the southernmost community in the Catskill Park. It has the ZIP Code 12740 (also applied to the surrounding area) and the 985 telephone exchange in the 845 area code. Grahamsville is located at latitude 41.848 and longitude -74.548. The elevation is 968 feet. Grahamsville is in the Eastern Time Zone. Grahamsville has long been known in the area as being a "dry town" as the sale of alcohol is forbidden. There is a bar known as the Hasbrouck House, located just outside the hamlet. The center of Grahamsville, mainly located along Route 55 and Chestnut Creek west of Route 42, consists of the town hall, post office, fire department, and some other businesses, with an adjoining residential area. To the east of the junction is Tri-Valley Central School and the Grahamsville Historic District, listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is the largest developed area in the town of Neversink. Grahamsville is also the location of the Grahamsville Little World's Fair. This annual event features rides, vendors, and events like "Grahamsville Idol". Since 1878, this county fair has taken place every year except for 1928 when a flood destroyed the bridge to the fairgrounds and the area where the fair is held every year. The 131st Little World's Fair will be August 12 - August 15, 2010. A Department of Environmental Protection branch was recently built in the heart of the town to increase the security near the Rondout and Neversink Reservoirs. These reservoirs are part of the water supply for New York City, so it is important that the environment in this region is safe from terrorism and any other kind of threat. The buildings in the historic district reflect the early development of the community. The area was not settled permanently until after the War due to a reputation for brutal raids by the Native American population (the hamlet takes its name from the leader of a Continental Army unit massacred nearby in 1778) and the manorial land ownership system that remained in some areas of the Hudson Valley through the 1840s. The church and homes in the historic district are what grew up around the western end of a stage road (today part of Route 55) to Wawarsing, nearby to the east in Ulster County.