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").
Johnstown is a city in Cambria County, Pennsylvania, United States, 60 miles (97 km) miles east of Pittsburgh and 41 miles (66 km) west-southwest of Altoona, Pennsylvania. The population was 23,906 at the 2000 census. It is the principal city of the Johnstown, Pennsylvania, Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes Cambria County. As of 2008, the Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 144,319 which makes it one of the top 10 in the state.