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").
Lincoln is a town in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 20,898 at the 2000 census. Lincoln is located in northeastern Rhode Island, north of Providence. Lincoln was settled in the 1600s and several colonial stone-enders were built in the town. Limestone quarrying has occurred here since colonial times at the village of Lime Rock. Lincoln was a part of the town of Smithfield until 1871, when it was split off and named in honor of Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln became an important mill town in the late 1800s, with many textile factories running along the Blackstone River. Lincoln's villages include Manville, Albion, Lime Rock, Londsdale, Fairlawn, Quinnville, and Saylesville. Very recently, the town was ranked #60 in Money Magazine's "Best Places to Live".