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").
Potosi is a city in Washington County, Missouri, United States. The estimated population in July 2008 was 2,698. It was 2,662 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Washington County. The city was founded in 1799 by Moses Austin and was named after the Bolivian silver-mining city of Potosí.