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").
Bledsoe is an unincorporated community in western Cochran County, Texas, located near the New Mexico border. It is about 68 miles west of Lubbock, Texas. As of the 1990 US Census, the town had a population of 125.