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").
Cusseta is a city in Chambers County, Alabama, United States. Situated between Opelika and Lanett, it was named for the ancient Creek Indian town of Cusseta. Pat Garrett, the lawman famed for killing the outlaw Billy the Kid, was born near Cusseta in 1850. The community was believed to be unincorporated until 2006, when rediscovered documents indicated that Cusseta had been incorporated as a city in 1853. As the community diminished in size over the years, its status was forgotten. In April, 2007, a petition of the majority of citizens of the Cusseta area was granted by the Probate Judge of Chambers County, Alabama, re-instating Cusseta's status as an incorporated city. The judge named a mayor and five council members to the first City Council, for two-year terms. That council met for the first time on April 30, 2007, in an old one-room schoolhouse located under the oak tree at the center of Cusseta. The city limits extend in a one-mile radius from the railroad crossroads beside the schoolhouse.