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").
Lecompte is a town in Rapides Parish, Louisiana, United States. It is part of the Alexandria, Louisiana Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 1,366 at the 2000 census. Shreveport attorney Jackson B. Davis, who served in the Louisiana State Senate from 1956-1980, was born near Lecompte. One of Davis's state Senate colleagues, Cecil R. Blair of Rapides Parish, who served from 1960-1964 and 1966-1976, resided and operated a business in Lecompte. Louisiana historian Sue Eakin was reared in the area and graduated from Lecompte High School.