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").
Southgate is a city in Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 30,136 at the 2000 census. Southgate was the last city to incorporate from the former Ecorse Township, gaining city status in October 1958. The city is bounded by Brest Road to the north, M-85/Fort Street on the east, Pennsylvania Road to the south, and Allen Road to the west. Southgate currently houses the headquarters of The News-Herald, a local Downriver newspaper which covers over twenty surrounding communities. During the late 1950s and 1960s, The Southgate Sentinel, a Mellus newspaper, was published. The city of Southgate also features the Splash Park/Downriver YMCA (also called Southgate Fun & Fitness Centre), as well as the Michigan headquarters for the Sonic Drive-In fast food restaurant chain.