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").
Lancaster (lān-kŭs'tər) is a city in Lancaster County, South Carolina which is in the United States and is located 32 miles south of Charlotte North Carolina . As of the United States Census, 2007 census, the city population was 9,715. It is the county seat of Lancaster County. The city was named after the famous House of Lancaster . Lancaster County is number 147 in US micropolitan areas; with a 2008 population estimate of 73,393 in the micropolitan area. It is the boyhood home of the 7th president of the United States, Andrew Jackson. Locally, the city is pronounced as "lane-cuh-stur," with emphasis placed on the first syllable, and the middle syllable being very short. In August 2008, the city was victim of two arson attacks on county buildings. The nearly 200-year-old county courthouse designed by South Carolina architect Robert Mills was heavily damaged in a fire, followed by a similar fire at the county district attorney's office three days later. On September 18, 2008, Martavious Carter, age 17, was arrested for multiple burglaries and also charged with the arson in these two cases. The courthouse holds the distinction of being the site of the last witch trials to take place in the United States.