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").
Pottsville is an unincorporated community in western Hamilton County in Central Texas. It lies along Fm-218 west of the city of Hamilton, the county seat of Hamilton County. Its elevation is 1,322 feet (403 m). Although Pottsville is unincorporated, it has a post office, with the ZIP code of 76565; the ZCTA for ZIP Code 76565 had a population of 142 at the 2000 census. Named for early settler John Potts, the community was founded as a dry town in 1872. Its first school was founded in 1876, and the post office was established in 1879. Pottsville has undergone multiple catastrophes: every business was burned in a 1913 fire, and great damage was done by a 1944 tornado.