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").
Circle (also called Circle City) is a census-designated place (CDP) in Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area, Alaska, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 100. Circle is 260 km (162 miles) northeast of Fairbanks at the end of the Steese Highway. Circle was named by miners in the late 1800s who believed that the town was on the Arctic Circle. The Arctic Circle is actually about 80 km (50 miles) north of Circle. Circle is also the unofficial northern terminus of the Pan-American Highway. Every February, Circle City hosts a checkpoint for the long-distance Yukon Quest sled dog race.