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").
Spencer is a city in Clay County, Iowa, United States, at the confluence of the Little Sioux and Ocheyedan Rivers. The population was 11,317 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Clay County. Spencer is famous as the home of the Clay County Fair, held annually in September AND DEWEY Readmore Books, the Library Cat . The fair averages over 300,000 visitors per year. Spencer was ranked 10th best place to live in the United States by Relocate-America. com's "America's Top 100 Places to Live for 2007."