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").
Elsah is a village in Jersey County, Illinois, United States. The population was 635 at the 2000 census, and the population was 641 in the 2006 official US Census estimate. The village's current mayor is Lynn Schreiber. Elsah is a part of the Metro-East region and the St. Louis Metropolitan Statistical Area.