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").
California City, incorporated in 1965, is a city located in the northern Antelope Valley in Kern County, 65 miles southwest of Death Valley National Park, in the U.S. state of California. The population was 8,385 at the 2000 census. Estimated population in July 2006 is 12,659. California City has one prison (the California City Correctional Center, operated by the Corrections Corporation of America), one landowners' resort, one PGA golf course, and one municipal airport. Much of the workforce of Edwards Air Force Base, which is located just to the south of the city, is made up of city residents. Other major sources of employment include California City Prison, Silver Saddle, Mojave Airport and its boneyard plane salvaging operations, the Honda Proving Center to the north, the new Hyundai/Kia Proving Grounds located to its southwest, and nearby cities such as Tehachapi, Ridgecrest, Boron, Palmdale, and Lancaster. Temperatures range from about 33 °F (1 °C) to about 118 °F (48 °C).