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").
Buckingham is an unincorporated community in and the county seat of Buckingham County, Virginia, United States. The town of Buckingham was established in 1818, and originally named Maysville, before the name was changed to that of the county. The second courthouse, built between 1822 and 1824, was designed by Thomas Jefferson, but burned down in 1869. The current courthouse was completed on the same site in 1873.