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").
Agoura Hills is a city (incorporated in 1982) in Los Angeles County, California, and has the ZIP code 91301. The population was 20,537 at the 2000 census. It is is located in the eastern Conejo Valley between the Simi Hills and the Santa Monica Mountains. This city on the Ventura Freeway straddles the border between the county of Los Angeles to the east, west and south and Ventura County to the north. It is approximately 30 miles northwest of Downtown Los Angeles and less than 10 miles west of the Los Angeles City limits (Woodland Hills). Agoura Hills and unincorporated Agoura are also situated next to Calabasas, Malibu, Oak Park, and Westlake Village.