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").
Scotts Valley is a small city in Santa Cruz County, California, United States, about thirty miles (48 km) south of downtown San Jose and six miles (10 km) north of Monterey Bay, in the upland slope of the Santa Cruz Mountains. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 11,385. Principal access to the city is supplied by State Route 17 that connects San Jose and Santa Cruz. The City of Scotts Valley was incorporated in 1966.