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").
Augusta is a village in Kalamazoo County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 899 at the 2000 census. The village is mostly within Ross Township, though a small portion extends south into Charleston Township. Augusta is situated on M-96, about five miles northeast of Galesburg, and about seven miles west of downtown Battle Creek. Kalamazoo is an additional ten miles west of Galesburg. Fort Custer Recreation Area is immediately south of the village on the east side of the Kalamazoo River.