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").
Inver Grove Heights is a city in Dakota County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 29,751 at the 2000 census. It is one of the 186 cities and townships in the seven-county Minneapolis-Saint Paul metropolitan area.. The city is 9 miles (14 km) to the southeast of Saint Paul; nearby settlements are Sunfish Lake (5 miles, 8 km northwest by road), South St. Paul (6 miles, 9 km north) and Newport (8 miles, 13 km northeast across the Mississippi River via the Wakota Bridge).