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").
Rye is a city in Westchester County, New York, United States. It is separate from the town of Rye which is larger than the city. Rye city, formerly the village of Rye, was part of the town until 1942, when it was received its charter as a city, the most recent to be issued in New York. The population was 14,955 at the 2000 census. The city is the site of the boyhood home and final resting place of John Jay, a Founding Father and the first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. Original milestones, fixed in 1763 by Benjamin Franklin along the Boston Post Road during his term as Postmaster General still mark the 24th, 25th, and 26th miles from New York City. Playland, an historic amusement park and designated National Historic Landmark, is located in Rye. Playland features one of the oldest wooden roller coasters in the northeast, the Dragon Coaster. Rye is also the home of Rye High School, named a Gold Medal school and the 59th best high school in the U.S. according to U.S. News & World Report's 2010 "Best High Schools. " Rye also houses Rye Country Day School, a college preparatory school.