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").
Stillwater is a city in and the county seat of Payne County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 39,065 at the 2000 census. Founded December 12, 1884 it was the first settlement in the Unassigned Lands. The geographical position of Stillwater is located Northeast of the Oklahoma City Metropolitan Area though many consider it to be a satellite exburb of Oklahoma City, due to commuter patterns and other indicators. The city of Stillwater is marketing a new census for 2010, implementing a program named "Count Stillwater" to help utilize the students of Oklahoma State University to increase the official population. The census is estimating a population of over 50,000, which would qualify Stillwater as its own Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city of Stillwater is currently developing and implementing a program, named "Count Stillwater". This would attract a significant number of new businesses and restaurants to the City and continue to grow "Oklahoma's fastest growing city."