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").
Ruthville is an unincorporated community in Charles City County, Virginia, United States. The community was the central point of the county's free African American population for many years, even before the Civil War (1861-1865). Following Emancipation, the crossroads community included the Mercantile Cooperative Company and Ruthville Training School. The United Sorghum Growers Club also met here. Earlier known by several other names, the name "Ruthville" recalls local resident Ruth Brown. Her name was selected when the Post Office was established there in 1880.