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").
Temple Hills is a suburb of Washington DC, southeast of the downtown district; it has an African-American majority population. It is an unincorporated area and census-designated place (CDP) in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. The greater Temple Hills mailing address includes not just the tiny red area on this map, but also the area just above it, near the state line. Within it are numerous garden apartment, duplex, and single family rambler home communities constructed mostly from the 1950s through 1970s. Most notable are the large community of Hillcrest Heights, and the 1960s 2-level Iverson Mall and Marlow Heights shopping centers. Rosecroft Raceway (since 1949, harness horse racing) is nearby, although the racing audience has declined greatly. There are large public indoor and outdoor swimming pools operated by the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, and also a private pool. Students may attend either Potomac, Crossland, or Bishop McNamara Senior High Schools. The area is especially convenient to the Capital Beltway (I-95/I-495), the Metrorail Green Line, Andrews Air Force Base, the U.S. Census Bureau, and Capitol Hill. Since the clogged interstate Woodrow Wilson Bridge was widened in 2008, commuter access to Northern Virginia's booming job market has improved.