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").
Battlement Mesa is a census-designated place (CDP) located in Garfield County, Colorado, United States. The population was 3,497 at the 2000 census. The Battlement Mesa Post Office has the ZIP Code 81636. The community, which bills itself as a "covenant-protected community", is a primarily a group of contiguous subdivisions developed in the later decades of the 20th century, catering to families and retirees. It is located on the flank of a hill on the south side of Interstate 70 across from the older town of Parachute. The two communities together are known as "Parachute-Battlement Mesa". The town takes its name from Battlement Mesa, a basalt-topped mesa that sits to the south of the town.