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").
Dublin (formerly, Amador and Dougherty's Station) is a suburban city of the East (San Francisco) Bay region of Alameda County, California, United States. It is located along the north side of Interstate 580 at the intersection with Interstate 680, roughly 10 miles (16 km) east of Hayward, 6 miles west of Livermore and 25 miles (40 km) north of San Jose. The nearest major metropolitan area is that of Oakland, approximately 25 miles (40 km) to the west-northwest on Interstate 580. Because of this, Dublin is known as a "crossroads" of the Bay Area. The population was more than 46,000 according to the state of California's 2008 estimates. Dublin is home to the headquarters of Sybase, Inc and Arlen Ness, and is home to major financial services, Washington Mutual Bank and Franklin Resources. It was named after the city of Dublin in Ireland.