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").
Ashville is a city in St. Clair County, Alabama, United States part of the Birmingham-Hoover-Cullman Combined Statistical Area. Its population was 2,260 at the 2000 census, at which time it was a town. This town is the county seat of St. Clair County along with Pell City. According to the 2005 U.S. Census estimates, the city had a population of 2,429.