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").
Olive Branch is an unincorporated community in Alexander County, Illinois, United States. Although it is unincorporated, it has a post office, with the ZIP code of 62969. The population of the ZIP Code Tabulation Area (ZCTA) for ZIP Code 62969 was 879 at the 2000 census. Olive Branch is part of the Cape Girardeau–Jackson, MO-IL Metropolitan Statistical Area.