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").
The historic Town of San Luis is a Statutory Town in, the county seat of, and the most populous town of Costilla County, Colorado, United States. Officially established on 1851-04-09 by Hispanic settlers from Taos, New Mexico, San Luis is the oldest town in the state of Colorado. The population was 739 at the 2000 census.