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").
Stafford is a town in Genesee County, New York, United States. The population was 2,409 at the 2000 census. The town was named after a the town of the same name in England. The Town of Stafford is the only interior town in Genesee county, lying in the eastern part of the county, east of Batavia, New York.