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").
Bellville is a city in and the county seat of Austin County, Texas, United States, located in the southeastern part of the state. The population was 3,794 at the 2000 census. Bellville was named for Thomas B. Bell, one of Stephen F. Austin's Old Three Hundred, after he donated land for the new county seat established by voters in 1846. The original county seat was located in San Felipe. Bellville is located at the intersection of State Highway 36 and State Highway 159 as well as FM 529, FM 1456, and FM 2429.