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").
El Paso is a city in McLean and Woodford Counties in the U.S. state of Illinois. The population was 2,695 at the 2000 census. The Woodford County portion of El Paso is part of the Peoria, Illinois Metropolitan Statistical Area. El Paso is a small community in Central Illinois that took on more characteristics of a highway community after Interstate 39 was built (U.S. Highway 51, the old major north/south road, was overlapped onto the new Interstate after its construction). In addition, El Paso is a potential stop for Chicago-Peoria traffic via U.S. Highway 24.