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").
Mount Olive, also spelled Mt. Olive is an unincorporated community and a census-designated place in Jefferson County, Alabama in the suburbs of Birmingham, Alabama. As of the 2000 census, the population of the community is 3,957. Mount Olive is bordered on the south and the east by the town of Gardendale, and in fact, some areas that had previously been in Mount Olive have been annexed into Gardendale over the years. Running along part of the border between Mt. Olive and Gardendale is the major expressway, Interstate 65. Eventually, part of Birmingham's Northern Beltline will cut through northwestern sections of Mt. Olive. Mt. Olive has its own elementary school and was formerly the home of a junior high school. Beyond elementary school, most of its students go on to Bragg Middle School and eventually Gardendale High School. A new $50-million Gardendale High School is expected to be completed within a year or two. Mount Olive is also the birthplace of iconic country music legend Hank Williams, which is in Butler County, not the town referenced in this article.