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").
Clearwater is a city in Stearns and Wright counties in the U.S. state of Minnesota. The population was 858 at the 2000 census. Most of the city lies in Wright County, with only a small part of the city's area extending into Stearns County. The Wright County portion of Clearwater is part of the Minneapolis–St. Paul, MN-WI Metropolitan Statistical Area, while the small portion in Stearns County is part of the St. Cloud, MN Metropolitan Statistical Area.