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").
Pineville is a town in Wyoming County, West Virginia, along the Guyandotte River. The population was 715 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Wyoming County. Pineville was settled by William Short in 1853. It was named because it was built on the site of a black or pitch pine forest. In 1917, Pineville was incorporated as a town.