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").
Lake Elmo is a city in Washington County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 6,863 at the 2000 census and is now estaimated at approximately 8,300, as of December 2009. Much of the area within the city limits is still farmland, so that the city has a very rural feel to it. However, the city density is likely to increase substantially over the next 15 years, due to a new city plan ordered following loss of a lawsuit against the Metropolitan Council, a regional planning authority.