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").
Checotah is a city in McIntosh County, Oklahoma, United States, named for the first elected Chief of the Creek Nation after the Civil War, Samuel Checote. The population was 3,481 at the 2000 census. Checotah is home to a large number of antique malls, a Civil War battle site and a downtown historic district. Checotah claims to be Steerwrestling Capital of the World. It is the hometown of 2005 American Idol winner and Country Superstar Carrie Underwood and country music singer Mel McDaniel as well as Paul H. Carr, the WWII naval hero, for whom the USS Carr (FFG-52) is named. The telephone area code is 918 and the postal ZIP code is 74426.