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").
Menomonie is a city in and the county seat of Dunn County in the western part of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The city's population was 14,937 as of the 2000 census. The city is located partially within the Town of Menomonie. Together with surrounding communities, the Menomonie micropolitan area was home to 21,900 people as of 2000. The city forms the core of the United States Census Bureau's Menomonie Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Dunn County . The Menomonie mSA, together with the Eau Claire metropolitan area to the east, forms the Census Bureau's Eau Claire-Menomonie Consolidated Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city center is located at the south end of Lake Menomin, a reservoir on the Red Cedar River.