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").
Sikes is a village in Winn Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 121 at the 2000 census. Sikes was the birthplace of the Louisiana state trial and appellate court judge Henry L. Yelverton, who was based in Lake Charles. Early in his career, Louisiana State Representative James R. Fannin taught agricultural education at Sikes High School.