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").
Altoona is a town in Etowah (and a small portion of Blount) County in the U.S. state of Alabama. It is part of the Gadsden Metropolitan Statistical Area. At the 2000 census the population was 984. According to the 2005 U.S. Census estimates, the town had a population of 970.