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").
Brooten is a city in Pope and Stearns counties in the U.S. state of Minnesota, United States. The population was 649 at the 2000 census. Almost the entire city lies in Stearns County, with only a small portion in Pope County. The Stearns County portion of Brooten is part of the St. Cloud Metropolitan Statistical Area.