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").
Cedar Island is an island and a small coastal unincorporated community in eastern North Carolina and some folks believe that the area has a connection to the Roanoke Lost Colony of the late 1500s. Cedar Island is located in Carteret County and was populated with local Native Americans prior to European settlers arriving sometime in the 1700s or possibly before. It is also the location of the state ferry transportation system dock where travel can be made across Pamlico Sound to the island and village of Ocracoke in Hyde County.