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").
Carpinteria is a small oceanside city located in the southeastern extremity of Santa Barbara County, California, east of Santa Barbara and northwest of Ventura. The population was 14,194 at the 2000 census. The Spanish named the area "Carpinteria" because the Chumash tribe, which lived in the area, had a large seagoing canoe-building enterprise, or "carpentry shop" there; this was due to the availability of naturally-occurring surface tar which was used to seal the canoes. You can still see the tar oozing out of the tar pit at selected sites, such as Tar Pits Park on the campground beach of Carpinteria State Beach . Carpinteria beach is known to have a gentle, sloping terrain and calm waves in selected sandy areas but also good surfing swells in other rocky areas . Seals and sea lions can be seen in the area December through May at the rookery in the nearby Carpinteria Bluffs, as well as an occasional gray whale. Tidepools contain starfish, sea anemones, crabs, snails, octopuses and sea urchins. A marathon-length round trip north of the rookery to Stearns Wharf in Santa Barbara is possible, though passable only during low tide. A live view of Carpinteria beach can be seen at this link . A popular campground is located adjacent to the beach. There is bird watching at Carpinteria Salt Marsh Reserve. The city has a weekly newspaper called The Coastal View. The city of Carpinteria is served by the Carpinteria Unified School District. It includes one high school, one middle (junior high) school, and four elementary schools, one of which is an alternative school (K-6). The district also has an alternative high school. Other schools includes: Cate School, a private preparatory school and Pacifica Graduate Institute, home of the Joseph Campbell and Marija Gimbutas Library. This graduate school offers master's and PhD programs in depth psychology and mythology. Carpinteria High School's football team, the Warriors, defeated Moorpark High School in 51 consecutive games, a national high school record. Since 1987, the California Avocado Festival has been held in Carpinteria on the first weekend of October. The Santa Barbara Polo Club, one of the main equestrian polo fields in the country, is located in Carpinteria. The city is also home to Hollandia Produce, an organic produce company with 70 employees. The Carpinteria Amtrak Station is an Amtrak rail station stop located on Linden Avenue by the beach. It is served by Amtrak's Pacific Surfliner from San Luis Obispo to San Diego.