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").
Whitakers is a town in Edgecombe and Nash in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is divided between the two counties by railroad tracks and is the northernmost city in the two counties. It is part of the Rocky Mount, North Carolina Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 773 in 2008.