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").
Saluda is an unincorporated community in the county seat of Middlesex County, Virginia, United States. The Middlesex County courthouse was built in 1850-1874 by architects William R. Jones and John P. Hill, and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. A new courthouse complex was built in 2003-2004, but its opening was stalled due to various construction problems, leading to a legal dispute between the County board and the contractor. It was eventually opened in 2007. The highly decorated Marine, veteran of the Banana Wars, World War II and the Korean War, Chesty Puller died in Saluda in 1971.