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").
Conroe is a suburban city 40 miles north of Houston, TX in the gulf coastal plains/piney woods region of southeast Texas. It is the seat of Montgomery County and falls within the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area. As of the 2000 U.S. Census, the city population was 36,811 (though a 2004 estimate placed the population at 43,402).