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").
Westphalia is a village in Clinton County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the village population was 876. The village is within Westphalia Township in the western portion of Clinton County, about 8 miles north of Interstate 96 on county roads and about 25 miles northwest of Lansing.