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").
Seneca is a village in LaSalle and Grundy counties in the U.S. state of Illinois. The population was 2,053 at the 2000 census. The LaSalle County portion of Seneca is part of the Ottawa–Streator Micropolitan Statistical Area, while the small portion that lies in Grundy County is part of the Chicago–Naperville–Joliet Metropolitan Statistical Area. Seneca is home to the LaSalle County Generating Station, a nuclear power plant.