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").
Rushland, in the northwestern corner of Wrightstown Township, Pennsylvania, was originally known as Sackett's Ford. Joseph Sackett built a grist mill store, and blacksmith shop near the Mill Creek where it joined the Neshaminy Creek. Some authorities claim that the name of the hamlet, first Rush Valley and later Rushland was due to the availability of "scouring rushes" used by early settlers for cleaning pots and pans. Located along the Mill Creek near Rushland was a settlement started by Italian immigrants who came to the area as laborers when the railroad was being built in the last decade of the nineteenth century. Their community became known as Little Italy. By forcing its way through a rocky cliff, the railroad opened a major industry for Rushland, the stone quarry, an industry that continues to this day.