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").
Kentwood is a rural town in Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana near the Mississippi border. The population was 2,205 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Hammond Micropolitan Statistical Area. Water from Kentwood is bottled and popularly marketed in New Orleans under the Kentwood Springs label. Kentwood is also known as "The Dairy Capital of the South. " Kentwood used to have a dairy parade each November where people sold crafts and miscellaneous items. The festival hasn't been held for several years due to the shutdown of the dairy plant in the 1970s and the subsequent decline of the town and its economy. Later, the parade and festival was moved to the summer months. Despite all this, Kentwood is best known as the hometown of the pop singer Britney Spears and sister Jamie Lynn Spears.