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").
Rigby is a small city in and the county seat of Jefferson County, Idaho, United States. The population was 2,998 at the 2000 census. The larger "Rigby area" includes such outlying unincorporated communities as Annis, Garfield, Grant, Labelle, and Clark. Other nearby incorporated areas within in Jefferson County include Menan, Roberts, Lewisville, and Ririe. If the populations of these communities is included, the number of people living in the "Rigby area" is somewhere above 5000. Rigby is part of the Idaho Falls, Idaho Metropolitan Statistical Area, and is located directly between the two larger Idaho cities of Rexburg and Idaho Falls, providing its residents with a wide variety of shopping, entertainment and cultural choices. These neighboring towns are only about a 10-15 minute drive to the north and south, respectively. The Rigby area has seen recent population growth due to its residential taxes being less than that of Rexburg or Idaho Falls. Many Rigby citizens commute to jobs in Rexburg or Idaho Falls, and a number of residents work for the federal government or federal contractors through the Idaho National Laboratory INL, locally called "The Site".