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").
Bowling Green is the fourth-most populous city in the U.S. state of Kentucky after Louisville, Lexington, and Owensboro. The population was 55,097 in 2008. It is the county seat of Warren County and the principal city of the Bowling Green, Kentucky Metropolitan Statistical Area with an estimated 2007 population of 116,001. Bowling Green was founded in 1798 after Robert and George Moore donated an additional 30 acres (120,000 m) to 40 acres (160,000 m) to the Warren County trustees. The land surrounded the 2-acre (8,100 m) plot they had donated for the construction of public buildings. Bowling Green was the provisional capital of the Confederate government of Kentucky. In 2003, Bowling Green and its surrounding communities were designated as a "metropolitan area". General Motors has an assembly plant in Bowling Green in which all Chevrolet Corvettes have been constructed since 1981 and Cadillac XLRs were being built there until production ended in the spring of 2009. Other significant businesses in Bowling Green include Fruit of the Loom, Houchens Industries, Holley Performance Products, and Camping World. The third largest Kentucky public university, Western Kentucky University, is situated upon a hill in central Bowling Green. Its athletic teams are called Hilltoppers.