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").
The City of Sierra Madre, is a town in Los Angeles County, California. The population was about 10,580 at the time of the 2000 census. It is in the Foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains below the southern edge of the Angeles National Forest with the cities of Pasadena and Altadena to its west, and Arcadia to its south and east.