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").
Forestville is a census-designated place (CDP) in Sonoma County, California, United States. The town came into existence during the late 1860s and was originally named Forrestville, after one its founders, but the spelling long ago became standardized with one "r". The population was 2,370 at the 2000 census, although the sign along the road into town continues to claim that the population is 1,776. Forestville is home to Forestville Elementary School and El Molino High School, a public school, which provides 9-12th grade education to the majority of Russian River residents. During the year of 2005, enrollment was 1,099 students. Forestville's unofficial motto is "Forestville, The Good Life," and is derived from license plate holders sold at the local hardware store. The major road through town, Highway 116, is also called Front Street for the length of the town, a distance of about three blocks, between Covey Road and Mirabel Road. The "downtown" blocks were first built during the 1870s and 1880s, but a fire destroyed many of the older structures, and what remains dates mostly to the early 20th century. The town has one gas station, one bar, two grocery stores, two convenience markets, a pharmacy, several churches, a number of restaurants, a post office, an assortment of small businesses, a fire station operated by a volunteer fire department, a volunteer-run Youth Park, and 3 ATMs. The annual Forestville Youth Park Parade is held each June as a fund-raising event, and culminates in two days of music, bingo, and carnival rides in the Youth Park, with food and handicrafts booths provided by local vendors and non-profit organizations. Further along the Russian River and eastward, are a number of bed and breakfast inns and wineries. To the south, just beyond the "city limits" (a green sign located in someone's yard) is Mom's Apple Pie, an award-winning pie bakery.