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").
Cedarville (formerly, Surprise Valley and Deep Creek) is an unincorporated community in Modoc County, California. It is located 20 miles (32 km) east of Alturas, at an elevation of 4652 feet (1418 m). Originally known as Deep Creek, Cedarville was founded in about 1864 as a stopping place for wagon trains. In 1867 a trading post was being run by William Cressler and John Bonner, who later also built the first road over Cedar Pass, connecting Surprise Valley to Alturas and the rest of Modoc County. By 1880 the town was the largest in the valley, with a population of around 220. The town has grown little in the following hundred years; however, as of the 2000 census, Cedarville had an estimated total population of 849 (see below). The inventor of aerogel, Steven Kistler, was born in the town in 1900. The ZIP code for Cedarville is 96104. Wired telephone numbers in Cedarville follow the format 279-2xxx or 279-6xxx. Wired telephone service is provided by Frontier Communications. Cedarville Hospital, operated by the Surprise Valley Hospital District, is located on Main Street at Washington. Cedarville Airport is located along Surprise Valley Road 1.5 miles (2.4 km) north of State Route 299. The town hosts an annual Last Frontier Fair. Tourist services, such as bed and breakfast accommodations, are available in the community. An area attraction is the Warner Mountains, most of which are inside Modoc National Forest. Surprise Valley offers hiking, fishing, birding, skiing, hunting, petroglyphs, photography, pioneer history and scenery.