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").
Ridge is an unincorporated community in St. Mary's County, Maryland, United States. It is near the southernmost tip of the western shore of Maryland, known as Point Lookout, has bodies of water on both sides, and has two popular seafood restaurants. A historically black Roman Catholic church is here, which formerly had a parochial school.