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").
Peru is a town in Clinton County in the U.S. state of New York. The population was 6,370 at the 2000 census. The town was named Peru because its mountainous nature suggested that country. The Town of Peru is in the eastern part of the county and is south of Plattsburgh.