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").
Pasadena is a city in the U.S. state of Texas within the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area. It is the second-largest city in Harris County, 15th-largest in Texas, and 159th largest in the United States. The area was founded in 1893 by John H. Burnett of Galveston. Burnett named the area after Pasadena, California because he thought the vegetation was similar. As of the 2000 U.S. Census, the city's population was 141,674. As of 2007, it is estimated to be at 152,968. The Pasadena Volunteer Fire Department is the largest all volunteer municipal fire department in the United States.