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").
Sperry is an unincorporated community in central Des Moines County, Iowa, United States. It lies along local roads north of the city of Burlington, the county seat of Des Moines County. Its elevation is 751 feet (229 m). Although Sperry is unincorporated, it has a post office with the ZIP code of 52650, which opened on 5 February 1870. The community is part of the Burlington, IA–IL Micropolitan Statistical Area.