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").
La Belle is a city in Lewis County, Missouri, United States. The population was 669 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Quincy, IL–MO Micropolitan Statistical Area. Although this article lists La Belle as two words in the French tradition, residents write it as "LaBelle". The city of La Belle was incorporated in 1872, although it had been a village and stage coach stop much earlier.