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").
Adger is a small unincorporated town located in Birmingham, Alabama, United States southwest of Hueytown. It is named for Andrew M. Adger, who was Secretary-Treasurer of the Bessemer Land & Improvement Company whose principal officer was Henry F. DeBardeleben, who himself is credit as the founder of Bessemer. It is a rural community created and made popular, along with North Johns, when iron ore & coal mines in the area were operating at their peak in the early twentieth Century. Since then the community has seen growth and decline and is now experiencing an upswing in population and business. It has a local post office; two local groceries; and numerous houses of worship. Several individuals also advertise and operate self-employed type businesses which cover several services needed in the area, such as construction, roofing, plumbing, hauling, heavy equipment operation. This town is served by a local volunteer fire department as well as a Neighborhood Watch office, which doubles as a working office for Jefferson County Deputies who patrol the area. It is governed by the Jefferson County Commission and the various departments and facets of the County Government. The community hopes to one day have a fully operational Sheriff's Department Sub-station located there in the future.