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").
Whitlash is an unincorporated community in northwestern Liberty County, Montana, United States, about five miles south of the province of Alberta across the Canadian border. Whitlash has a post office and an elementary school that provides educational services in grades prekindergarten through 8. The community is accessible only by unpaved road. The Whitlash Border Crossing is about five miles to the north. Whitlash is located near the East Butte of the Sweet Grass Hills which are major historic and physical landmarks of the Great Plains. Sacred to the American Indians, "The Hills" served as hunting grounds, battlegrounds, spiritual grounds, and of course were used for navigational purposes as well.