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").
Mackinac Island is a city in Mackinac County in the U.S. state of Michigan. At the 2000 census, the city had a permanent population of 523, although there are thousands more seasonal workers and tourists during the summer months. From 1818–1882, the city was the county seat of the former Michilimackinac County, which was later organized into Mackinac County with St. Ignace as the county seat. The city includes all of Mackinac Island and the unpopulated Round Island. The city also includes all of Mackinac Island State Park, although that park is governed by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and the Mackinac Island State Park Commission. The city is served by the Mackinac Island Public School. A unique local ordinance prohibits the use of any motor vehicles on the island. The most common means of travel are foot, bicycle, or horseback. Certain enumerated exceptions include emergency vehicles, electric wheelchairs for those with disabilities, snowmobiles in winter, and golf carts for on-course use only. Mackinac Island is home to the famed Grand Hotel, where the 1980 movie Somewhere in Time was filmed. That film presents a rare exception in which motorized vehicles were allowed on the island.