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").
Beverly, Washington is a small community along the banks of the Columbia River in central Washington state. The community, which consists of a few hundred residents, is just a few miles downriver from Wanapum Dam and is nestled at the base of what locals call Sentinel Gap, a huge basalt formation that juts out into the river.