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").
Byron Center is an unincorporated community in Kent County in the U.S. state of Michigan It is a census-designated place (CDP) used for statistical purposes. The population was 3,777 at the 2000 census. The community is at the center of Byron Township, about 14 miles south-southwest of Grand Rapids. The Byron Center ZIP code is 49315, although the area served by the ZIP code also includes most of Byron Township as well as portions of Gaines Township to the east in Kent County, and Jamestown Township to the west in Ottawa County and portions of Salem Township to the southwest and Dorr Township to the south in Allegan County.