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").
Mariposa (formerly Logtown) is a census-designated place (CDP) in and the county seat of Mariposa County, California, United States. The population was 1,373 at the 2000 census. Its name is Spanish for "butterfly", after the flocks of Monarchs seen there by early explorers.