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").
Zachary is a city in East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana, United States, in the Baton Rouge Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 11,275 at the 2000 census. As the population of East Baton Rouge Parish grows, Zachary is changing from a small country town to an affluent suburb of Baton Rouge. Much of Zachary's growth may be attributed to its ranking by the Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education as the top school district in the state every year since 2005.