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").
Madison is a city in Limestone and Madison Counties in the U.S. state of Alabama, and is included in the Huntsville Metropolitan Area. It is therefore also included in the merged Huntsville-Decatur Combined Statistical Area. As of the 2006 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city was 36,824. The current mayor is Paul Finley.