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").
Wagon Mound is a village in Mora County, New Mexico, United States. It is named after and located at the foot of a butte called Wagon Mound, which was a landmark for covered wagon trains and traders going up and down the Santa Fe Trail and is now Wagon Mound National Historic Landmark. The shape of the mound is said to resemble a Conestoga wagon. As of the 2000 census, the village population was 369. It was also called Santa Clara for many years. The village, with brightly painted houses and several stores and shops, is located on the plains of northeastern New Mexico. Interstate 25, which skirts the west side of town, gives a view of the majority of the town. Wagon Mound is not growing rapidly, but it has seen new construction along I-25, with new buildings on the northeast side of town as well. A planned high-speed commuter rail line between Santa Fe and Raton bodes well for the future of this small community.