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").
Cimarron is a village in Colfax County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 917 at the 2000 census. Philmont Scout Ranch, an extensive "high-adventure base" operated by the Boy Scouts of America, is located just west of Cimarron. The Chase Ranch (famous for its heart-shaped brand and allegedly the Marlboro Man's place of origin), Ted Turner's Vermejo Park Ranch, the CS Ranch, the UU Bar Ranch (formerly the property of Waite Phillips), the Elliott Barker State Wildlife Area, the Valle Vidal, and Carson National Forest are also located in the Cimarron area. The village is a pioneer of the four-day school week, which it originally implemented in the early 1970s, during a time of rising fuel and utility prices.