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").
Cougar is a former town, and now unincorporated community, in Cowlitz County, Washington, United States. The population was 122 at the 1990 census; it was not measured in 2000. The town is located on the Lewis River, 24 miles northeast of Woodland. Because it is situated only 11 miles south-southwest of Mount St. Helens, in 1980 the entire town was evacuated because of the danger of volcanic eruption. Cougar’s geographic location is 46.051N, -122.298W. The town’s ZIP code is 98616 and its telephone area code is 360.