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").
Pharr is a city in Hidalgo County, Texas, United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 46,660. Pharr is connected by bridge to the Mexican city of Reynosa, Tamaulipas. It is part of the McAllen–Edinburg–Mission Metropolitan Statistical Area.