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").
Rosman is a town in Transylvania County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 490 at the 2000 census. The northern terminus of U.S. Route 178 is less than one mile northwest of Rosman on U.S. Route 64. The Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute is located about 6 miles north of Rosman, near Balsam Grove, North Carolina.