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").
Ruffin is an unincorporated community located in Rockingham County, North Carolina. It is northeast of Reidsville, North Carolina and southwest of Danville, Virginia just off US 29. It has a population of 2,116. Neighboring communities and municipalities include Reidsville, Eden, Pelham, Casville, and Wentworth. Ruffin hosts its Whistlestop Jubilee every fall. It has the Ruffin United Methodist Church, Ruffin Stacey Baptist Church and a few others in the community. The community is named after the 1850's pro-slavery activist Edmund Ruffin. .