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").
Garland is a city in Dallas and Collin counties in the U.S. state of Texas. It is an inner suburb northeast of Dallas and is a major part of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. As of the 2000 census, the city had a population of 218,768, making it the tenth-most populous city in Texas and the eighty-sixth most populous city in the United States. Garland is within a short driving distance of most major attractions in the Dallas/Fort Worth Area.