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").
Valley Falls is a village in Rensselaer County, New York, United States. The population was 491 at the 2000 census. The village lies on the boundary of the towns of Pittstown and Schaghticoke, but is mostly in the northwest part of Pittstown.