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").
Whitesville is a town in Boone County, West Virginia, United States, along the Big Coal River. The population was 520 at the 2000 census. Whitesville was incorporated on August 15, 1935 by the Boone County Circuit Court. It is named for B. W. White, a prominent early settler in the area. Whitesville was formerly known as Jarrold's Valley and Pritchard City.