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").
Sprankle Mills is a small unincorporated rural community in Jefferson County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is located between the boroughs of Punxsutawney and Brookville. Sprankle Mills was founded in 1833 by Frederick Sprankle who owned a mill in the middle of town. Primarily a farming community this town, in the mid to late 1800s, had two general stores, a post office and a one room school house. The post office, which was located in one of the general stores, was a working post office until the late 1980s. While the one-room school house is still standing it is primarily used as a gathering place for residents during occasions such as the first day of fishing season and on voting days. The last class of students to use the building as a school was in 1962. This small farming community consisted of German settlers. Some of the original residents have ancestors occupying the original homesteads. Some of these names include: Raybuck, Mottern, and Mauk.