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").
Portageville is a hamlet located in the town of Genesee Falls in Wyoming County, Wyoming County, United States. Its name derives from the Native American canoists who would withdraw their craft from the river to avoid going over three waterfalls in the Genesee River gorge. They had to portage several miles to the site of present day Mount Morris where they could embark for the rest of the journey downriver. Portageville is the only named community in the town of Genesee Falls. The Genesee River Gorge with its scenic waterfalls was formed after the original valley was buried in glacial debris from the last ice age and the river had to cut a new valley though the Devonian sedimentary rock of the area. It has also been called The Grand Canyon of the East. The site has now been designated Letchworth State Park and is a major tourist attraction, with the upper entrance at Portage.