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").
Meers is a small town located on State Highway 115 in Comanche County, Oklahoma, in the foothills of the Wichita Mountains. Founded as a gold mining town in 1901, it was named for mine operator Andrew J. Meers. The only remaining structure of the original town is the Meers Store & Restaurant, which Food Network named as the best hamburger joint in Oklahoma & one of the best in the United States of America, largely due to its signature MeersBurger. The Meers Store also served as the area post office from March 12, 1902, until February, 1989. Currently, area residents have Lawton mailing addresses. Meers lies on the Meers Fault, and, to monitor seismic activity, the Oklahoma Geological Survey installed a seismograph in the Meers Store in 1985.