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").
Mountain Lake is a city in Cottonwood County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 2,082 at the 2000 census. Mountain Lake was initially comprised mostly of the 1,800 Russian Mennonites who settled there between 1873 and 1880. The city has gradually become more diverse, with the most recent immigrant groups being Lao, Hispanic, and Hmong people.