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").
Smyrna is a city in Cobb County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 40,999. Census estimates of 2007 indicate a population of 49,534. It is included in the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta, Georgia metropolitan statistical area, which is included in the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Gainesville, Georgia-Alabama (part) combined statistical area. Smyrna is one of the closest suburbs to Atlanta, located near the northern intersection of I-285 and I-75, which is the site of Cumberland and the Cobb Galleria. It is also near Vinings, Marietta, and Mableton, Sandy Springs and the affluent Buckhead district of Atlanta.