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").
Sugarloaf is a unincorporated residential area less than a mile south of Big Bear City and 8 miles from the eastern tip of Big Bear Lake in the San Bernardino Mountains of San Bernardino County, California. The area is primarily residential with a convenience store and a bar located at the center of the community. The residential area is set at an elevation of 7,096 feet at its center, whereas its extreme northern border is 6,998 feet above sea level and the southern tip sits at 7,218 feet above sea level. There is no municipal organization for the area, and all fire, water, and police service is provided by San Bernardino County. The ZIP code for the community is 92386, the area code 909, and the population is 1,816. Big Bear High School is located in the northern part of the community. The name of the town is taken from the nearby mountain, Sugarloaf. The mountain is so called because it appeared to some to bear a resemblance to a sugarloaf. (In settlement days sugar was sold in pieces of a loaf.)