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").
Elkview is a census-designated place (CDP) in Kanawha County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 1,182 at the 2000 census. It is named after the Elk River, which flows into the Kanawha River. Interstate 79, the "Jennings Randolph Expressway", provides highway access to Elkview from exit 9. U.S. Route 119 also reaches Elkview. A shopping center was built off I-79 which includes a Country Inn & Suites, Kroger, K-Mart,and several fast food restaurants. This small town is nestled between the larger town of Clendenin, and the municipality of Kanawha County, Charleston.