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").
Ashland is a village, incorporated in 1963 and located in the northernmost portion of Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana, United States, just south of the Bienville Parish line. The population was 291 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Natchitoches Micropolitan Statistical Area. The mayor is W. Gahagan Lee, and the village council consists of Wayne Best and Carol Doyle, both Democrats, and Vincent Brown, a Republican. The police chief is Fred Holland, a Democrat.