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").
Mansfield is a city in Ellis, Johnson, and Tarrant Counties in the U.S. state of Texas and a suburb of Fort Worth. The population was 41,564 in 2006 (though signs in the city have the population at 59,000). In 2009, CNN/Money Magazine rated Mansfield as one of the "Best Places to Live", ranking 24 out of the top 100 places.