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").
Devils Elbow, Missouri is an unincorporated community in Pulaski County on historic U.S. Highway 66. It is situated on the Big Piney River and was named for a particularly bad place in the river known as a "devil of an elbow". It is about five miles (8 km) east of St. Robert.