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").
Ringwood is a village in McHenry County, Illinois, United States. The Ringwood post office was established in the early 1900s to provide post office boxes for local industrial firms and residents located on the far northern edge of McHenry. In the late 1980s, Johnsburg, which has no post office, annexed major portions of unincorporated McHenry County. Ringwood was incorporated as a village on 15 November 1994 in an attempt to maintain its small-town environment. The population was 471 at the 2000 census.