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").
Berry Creek (formerly, Berry Valley) is an unincorporated community about 12 miles (19 km) northeast of Oroville, California in hilly terrain at 1,995 feet (608 m) above mean sea level. The community is located along Oroville-Quincy Highway on the shore of Madrone Lake. The US Geological Survey shows coordinates of 39°38′43″N 121°24′12″W / 39.64528°N 121.40333°W / 39.64528; -121.40333 for the town. The community is home to Berry Creek Elementary School (K-8). Berry Creek is inside Area code 530 and wired phone numbers follow the format (530) 589-xxxx. The community's ZIP code is 95916, and is shared with the community of Brush Creek, (which is about four miles or six kilometers east on Oroville-Quincy Highway). There is a California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection fire station at an area called Harts Mill just south of the community. This is a historic name for a community once located at 39°37′25″N 121°26′08″W / 39.62361°N 121.43556°W / 39.62361; -121.43556. Harts Mill was probably a mining community named for a stamp mill. The USGS lists a variant name of Virginia Mill for the area.