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").
Yorktown is a census-designated place (CDP) in York County, Virginia, United States. The population was 220 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of York County, one of the 8 original shires formed in colonial Virginia in 1634. In Yorktown, George Washington lead the Colonist in this war along with the French on there side. They tricked the British lead by Cornwallis into thinking they were in New York. They went south to Virginia and suprised attacked them, and he cut off there escape path on the York River. It is most famous as the site of the surrender of General Cornwallis to General George Washington in October 19, 1781. Although the war would last for another year, this British defeat at Yorktown did effectively end the American Revolutionary War. Yorktown also figured prominently in the American Civil War (1861–1865), serving as a major port to supply both northern and southern towns, depending upon who held Yorktown at the time. Today, Yorktown is part of an important national resource known as the Historic Triangle of Yorktown, Jamestown and Williamsburg, and is the eastern terminus of the Colonial Parkway. Yorktown is also the eastern terminus of the TransAmerica Trail, a bicycle touring route created by the Adventure Cycling Association.