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").
Portland is an unincorporated community in eastern Callaway County, Missouri, USA. It is part of the Jefferson City, Missouri Metropolitan Statistical Area. It is located at 38°42′37″N 91°43′02″W / 38.71028°N 91.71722°W / 38.71028; -91.71722 (38.710161,-91.717166) on Route 94 about twenty miles northeast of Jefferson City. It was settled in the 1830s. It is situated directly on the Missouri River, and was settled mostly by German immigrants. The town was called Portland because it was mostly just a little river port used by traders on their way to St. Louis from points further upriver.