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").
Carson is an unincorporated community in southwestern Taos County, New Mexico, United States. Named after famed frontiersman and Taos resident Kit Carson, Carson was founded around 1908, when the surrounding area was opened for homesteading. Carson is presently a low-density rural area. Carson has a post office, with the ZIP code 87517. The 87517 ZIP Code Tabulation Area had a population of 158 at the 2000 census. The Carson ZCTA had 114 housing units; a land area land area of 35.03 sq. miles; a water area of 0 sq. miles; and a population density of 4.51 people per sq. mile at Census 2000.