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").
Pontiac is an unincorporated community in southern Ozark County, Missouri about ten miles southwest of Gainesville. It is located on Bull Shoals Lake. The assumption is the town was named after the Indian chief, Pontiac. The town consists of a post office, two or three "resorts," a restaurant, a General Baptist church, and a boat dock/marina. Just across the Arkansas border is Price Place, which is physically separated from Arkansas by the waters of Bull Shoals Lake. Residents of Price Place bond with those of Pontiac to operate the volunteer fire department. Price Place also has a small church.