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").
Nacogdoches is a city in Nacogdoches County, Texas, in the United States. The 2000 census recorded the city's population to be 29,914, while in 2007 it was estimated to have reached 32,006. It is the county seat of Nacogdoches County and is situated in East Texas. Nacogdoches is a sister city of Natchitoches, Louisiana. Nacogdoches is the home of Stephen F. Austin State University and of the Association for Business Communication. Nacogdoches made international headlines in February 2003, after receiving much of the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster debris.