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").
Port Washington is a hamlet and census-designated place in Nassau County, New York on the North Shore of Long Island. As of the United States 2000 Census, the community population was 15,215. Port Washington is an unincorporated area within and directly governed by the town of North Hempstead. In broader sense, however, Port Washington includes the communities of Baxter Estates, Manorhaven, Port Washington North, Sands Point, Beacon Hill, Beacon Hill Colony, Manhasset Isle, New Salem, and northern Flower Hill as these areas share the same ZIP code, school and library districts.