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").
Portage is a borough within Portage Township in Cambria County, Pennsylvania, 7 miles (11 km) southeast of Ebensburg and 16 miles (26 km) west-southwest of Altoona. It is part of the Johnstown, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area. Coal mining was the lifeblood of Portage. In 1900, 816 people lived there, and in 1910, there were 2,954 residents. The population was 2,837 at the 2000 census.