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").
Chaparral is a census-designated place (CDP) in Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 6,117 at the 2000 census. A portion of Chaparral is also in Otero County, New Mexico, United States. While there is some employment within Chaparral, Chaparral is primarily a bedroom community for the neighboring city of El Paso, Texas and the neighboring military installations of White Sands Missile Range and Fort Bliss. It is officially part of the Las Cruces Metropolitan Statistical Area.