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").
Crestview is a city in Okaloosa County, Florida, United States. Crestview’s name was chosen because of its location on the peak of a long woodland range between the Yellow and Shoal rivers which flow almost parallel on the east and west side of the City. It is the county seat of Okaloosa County. With an elevation of 235 feet above sea level, it is one of the highest points in the state; it receives 65 inches of rainfall annually, the most of any city in the state of Florida, next to Fort Walton Beach with 69 inches. The town was once known as "the Icebox of Florida", due to it having the coldest winters in the state. Today it goes by a more popular nickname as the "Hub City" of Northwest Florida. According to the U. S Census estimates of 2005, the city had a population of 17,707; though by 2008 that number grew to over 22,000, with 82,500 residents living in the immediate area. Crestview is one of Florida's fastest growing cities, residential developments, shopping, and land area to grow. It has, as of July 2007, become the largest city in Okaloosa County. This has not yet been verified by the US Census because figures for 2007 have not yet been published. (www. factfinder. census. gov). In 2007, Mayor Whitehurst, who had been mayor for nearly 20 years, resigned, leading to the inauguration of David Cadle. Cadle had a base of support from parents and former students who had firsthand knowledge of his leadership skills, as he had just retired from directorship of the Big Red Machine, the local high school's band. Crestview is a principal city of the Fort Walton Beach–Crestview–Destin Metropolitan Statistical Area.