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").
Plainwell is a city in Allegan County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 3,933 at the 2000 census. Plainwell is located on M-89 just east of its junction with U.S. 131. The city of Otsego is about three miles to the west. Kalamazoo is about ten miles to the south and Grand Rapids about 35 miles north. The Kalamazoo River flows through the center of the city. Plainwell is the birth place of syndicated cartoonist Dave Coverly, creator of the Speed Bump comic strip, actor Ed Gale, famous for his role as Howard the Duck in the movie of the same name, and writer and journalist Kathleen Davis. The city also includes Plainwell Ice Cream, which recently received an award for being Southwest Michigan's Best Tasting Ice Cream. Its owners are Art and Judy Gaylord, who have been in business for 31 seasons. Though it sounds somewhat common, there are no other communities named Plainwell anywhere in the United States.