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").
Mereta (also Fisherville or Lipan) is an unincorporated community in eastern Tom Green County, Texas, United States. It lies along local roads east of the city of San Angelo, the county seat of Tom Green County. Its elevation is 1,755 feet (535 m). Although Mereta is unincorporated, it has a post office, with the ZIP code of 76940; the ZCTA for ZIP Code 76940 had a population of 138 at the 2000 census. Mereta was named by the local postmaster in honor of twin sisters, named Meta and Reta, who lived in the area in 1902. The community itself was platted in 1904.