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").
Livingston is a town in Polk County, Texas, United States. The population was 50,433 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Polk County. Livingston was settled in 1835 as Springfield. Its name was changed to Livingston and became the county seat of Polk County in 1846. There are 6,612 people (according to the 2000 Census) in West Livingston, Texas. West Livingston is an area west of Livingston and east of Lake Livingston. The Polunsky Unit of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, which houses the male death row, is located five miles southwest of Livingston. The Alabama-Coushatta Indian Reservation is just to the East of Livingston. The 2000 census reported a resident population of 480 persons within the reservation. Livingston has one hospital, the Memorial Medical Center at Livingston