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").
Sterlington is a town in northern Ouachita Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 1,276 at the 2000 census. Actor Ed Nelson, a co-star of ABC's Peyton Place during the 1960s, retired to Sterlington from his native New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina.