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").
Lemont is a relatively affluent village in Cook, DuPage, and Will Counties in the U.S. state of Illinois, and is roughly 27 miles (43km) southwest of Chicago. The population was 13,098 at the 2000 census. A great percentage of the village's residents are predominately White, making it one of the least diverse suburbs of the Chicago metropolitan area.