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").
Social Circle is a village in Walton and Newton counties in the U.S. state of Georgia. The population was 3,380 at the 2000 census. The village was named in or around 1826, and incorporated in 1832; the name formed when a few people were sitting on the well in the middle of the town square eating lunch and talking and someone commented that it was a very social circle. This etymology is depicted on the town well.