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").
Charlotte Hall is a census-designated place (CDP) in St. Mary's County, Maryland, United States. The population was 1,214 at the 2000 census. The Maryland Veterans Home for disabled veterans, including a U.S. Veterans Affairs clinic, is located on the site of the former Charlotte Hall Military Academy. The Academy site was declared the Charlotte Hall Historic District, and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975. Since 1940, a sizable Amish farming community has existed nearby along with a farmers market and large flea market complex on busy Maryland Route 5, which is also the site of numerous strip-mall businesses continuing into the adjacent community of Mechanicsville.