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").
Knott is an unincorporated community in northwestern Howard County, Texas, United States. It lies along FM 846 northwest of the city of Big Spring, the county seat of Howard County. Its elevation is 2,612 feet (796 m). Although Knott is unincorporated, it has a post office, with the ZIP code of 79748. Knott, along with its neighbor West Knott, was named for rancher Calvin Stevenson Knott, one of the first settlers in the area. Agriculture is important in the Knott area; although watermelons were once significant in the local economy, cotton farming is now dominant.