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").
River Falls is a city in Pierce and St. Croix counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 12,560 at the 2000 census. The city is located mostly within the Town of River Falls in Pierce County; only a small portion lies within the Town of Kinnickinnic in St. Croix County. River Falls is located 25 miles southeast of downtown St. Paul, Minnesota and is part of the Minneapolis/St. Paul Metropolitan Statistical Area, along with the rest of Pierce and St. Croix Counties. The city is noted for being home to the University of Wisconsin-River Falls.