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").
White Plains is an unincorporated community located in Charles County in the State of Maryland in the United States of America, just south of Waldorf, Maryland. It is located at latitude 38°35'25" North; longitude 76°56'26" West. The United States Postal Service has assigned White Plains the ZIP Code 20695. While the commercial portion of White Plains is along U.S. Highway 301, the largest concentration of residences with the White Plains mailing address is actually six to seven miles to the West in developments off of Billingsley Road (see article on Bryans Road, Maryland). The area is growing with the population sprawl from the adjacent sizable city of Waldorf-St. Charles, and has opened new office parks, and in 2009 a scenic new rail trail. The Charles County Department of Health is headquartered in White Plains; a public golf course is also there. Plans to complete a new east-west connector road in the area are mired in controversy due to its environmental impact.