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").
Lake Odessa is a village in Ionia County of the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the village population was 2,272. It is located in the southern portion of the county in Odessa Township on the northeast shore of Jordan lake which is the county boundary with Barry County.