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").
Houghton Lake is an unincorporated community in Roscommon Township, Roscommon County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The Census Bureau has defined a census-designated place (CDP) for statistical purposes with the same name. The population was 3,749 at the 2000 census. The community is situated on the southwest shore of Houghton Lake. The CDP includes the nearby community of Houghton Lake Heights, which is about one mile northwest along the shore of the lake. M-55 runs through both communities. The community of Prudenville is adjacent to the CDP on the east, at the southeast end of the lake. US 127 passes just west of the communities. A small portion of the CDP area extends into Lake Township to the north.