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").
Middletown is a town in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 17,335 at the 2000 census. It lies to the south of Portsmouth and to the north of Newport on Aquidneck Island, hence the name "Middletown."