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").
Ghent is an unincorporated community in Raleigh County in the U.S. state of West Virginia. On January 30, 2007, the Flat Top Little General Store on U.S. Route 19 exploded, killing four people and injuring several others, near the Winterplace Ski Resort.