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").
Randallstown is an unincorporated community and a census-designated place in Baltimore County, Maryland, United States. It is named after Christopher and Thomas Randall, two 18th-century tavern-keepers. At that time, Randallstown was a tollgate crossroads on the Liberty Turnpike, a major east-west thoroughfare. Today it is a suburb of Baltimore, with a population of 30,870 (2000 census). In the 1990s, Randallstown transitioned to a majority African American community, and is currently notable for its broad ethnic diversity. Its median household income ($58,686)is the highest in the near-northwest suburbs, and the fifth highest in Baltimore County, ahead of such other affluent communities as Towson, Owings Mills, Pikesville, Catonsville, and Perry Hall.