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").
Pearl is a village in Pike County, Illinois, United States. The population was 187 at the 2000 census. The village, settled in the late 1800s, is named after pearl buttons drilled from the large supply of native mussels that once lived in the nearby Illinois River.