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").
Crowley is a city in and the parish seat of Acadia Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 14,225 at the 2000 census. The city is noted for its annual International Rice Festival. Crowley has the nickname of "Rice Capital of America", because at one time it was a major center for rice harvesting and milling. Today, Crowley still has a number of rice mills and rice is the main crop of many local farmers. In addition, in recent years, crawfish farming has become increasingly popular. Crowley is the home of Mastertrak Studios. The studio that is now Mastertrak was founded by J. D. "Jay" Miller in 1955 and has hosted such notable recording artists as Paul Simon and John Fogerty. The studio is known for producing Swamp blues music, as well as segregationist music of the 1960s. The Crowley High School "Fighting Gents" were State Division 3A Champs in the 1989 football season and had a 8-2 regular season. Crowley is also the home of Notre Dame High School. Notre Dame is a parish-wide Catholic school whose football program has won three state championships and numerous District Champion titles. Crowley is the principal city of the Crowley Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Acadia Parish. It is also part of the larger Lafayette–Acadiana Combined Statistical Area.