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").
Peosta is a city in Dubuque County, Iowa, United States, and an exurb of the city of Dubuque. It is part of the Dubuque, Iowa Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 651 at the 2000 census, but in 2007 its population was estimated to be 1,129. Peosta is the seventh-largest city in Dubuque County, but it will likely soon pass Farley, and Epworth to become the fifth-largest. The community is home to a large industrial park, the largest campus of Northeast Iowa Community College, and a handful of new commercial businesses. However, the city is increasingly becoming a bedroom community, much like nearby Asbury, made up of spacious new subdivisions. Peosta has experienced a 72.6% increase in population from 2000 to 2007, making it the state's 6th-fastest growing city (with 1,000 people or more) during that period.