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").
East Helena is a town in Lewis and Clark County, Montana, about five miles east of downtown Helena. The population was 1,642 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Helena Micropolitan Statistical Area.