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").
Kings Mountain is a city in Cleveland and Gaston counties, North Carolina, United States. The population was 9,693 at the 2000 census. Originally the settlement was called White Plains, but when the city was incorporated in 1874, the name was changed. It was decided that Kings Mountain would be a more appropriate name since the community was the closest town to the historic Battle of Kings Mountain.