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").
Castaic, California is an unincorporated community in Los Angeles County, California, USA. It is in northern of Santa Clarita and is a few miles from Six Flags Magic Mountain amusement park. It is approximately 39 miles (63 km) from the downtown Los Angeles Civic Center. As of the 2000 Census, it had a population of 22,173. The community has a ZIP Code of 91384 and area code of 661. Today it is a growing community near the San Fernando Valley and Greater Los Angeles Area and has many new suburban one and two story houses in new developments. It began life in 1915 at the opening of the original Ridge Route which brought travelers looking for gasoline, water, food, and lodging. Many early day residents of Castaic were involved in providing for travelers' needs along the Ridge Route. Today travelers still enjoy stopping at Castaic for their needs but also enjoy nearby amenities including Castaic Lake and Pyramid Lake where boating and swimming are favorite pastimes. Castaic Lake is the terminus of the west branch of the State Water Project and an 1175 MW pumped storage hydroelectric plant located at the north end of Lake Castaic captures the energy from the falling water. From Castaic the water is delivered by pipelines to the Los Angeles area. The Castaic Town Council meets regularly to solve the challenges of the growing community. It covers 100 square miles (259 km) of area, and includes the Val Verde and Chiquito Canyon areas. Castaic Middle School is a school that serves grades 6-8 for the region. Some of the earliest businesses started in Castaic are Castaic Brick (founded 1927) and George Dunn's Wayside Dairy (founded 1929). Sam's Place (Sam Parson, proprietor) on the Ridge Route has long since gone and is now a memory. Station 149 of the Los Angeles County Fire Department serves the community and is located one block from the lake. The origin of the name Castaic - misspelled by many over the decades - is the Chumash Native American word Kashtuk, meaning "eyes."