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").
West Liberty is a city in Morgan County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 3,277 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Morgan County. It is on the banks of the Licking River at the junction of Kentucky Route 7 and US 460. By 1816 an early settlement at the town site was called Wells Mills. When Morgan County was founded in 1823, the settlement was incorporated to become the county seat. The town is actually 100 miles east of Liberty, Kentucky - the name "West Liberty" was chosen in the belief that Pikeville, Kentucky would be called "Liberty" when it incorporated. Three Civil War skirmishes were fought near West Liberty, and much of the town was burned during the war, including the courthouse. It was replaced after the war, and a fourth courthouse was built in 1907.