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").
Andrews is a city in and the county seat of Andrews County in the U.S. state of Texas within the West Texas region. The population was 9,652 at the 2000 census. Along with Midland and Odessa, these cities form the Midland-Odessa Combined Statistical Area with a population of 241,316 in four counties. Andrews was the fastest growing micropolitan in 2008. Andrews was incorporated on February 2, 1937. Both the city and county were named for Richard Andrews, the first Texan soldier to die in the Texas Revolution. United States Highway 385 (north-south) and Texas State Highway 115 (east-west) intersect through Andrews.