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").
Walker Valley is a hamlet located in the western part of the Town of Shawangunk in Ulster County, New York, U.S. , generally thought of as coterminous with the 12588 ZIP code. The population was 758 at the 2000 census. Walker Valley is one of the three geographic parts of the town that local residents use. It is centered around NY 52 in the western part of town, where it begins to slope up to the Shawangunk Ridge.