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").
Neptune Beach is a city in Duval County, Florida, United States. When the majority of communities in Duval County consolidated with Jacksonville, Florida in 1968, Neptune Beach, along with Jacksonville Beach, Atlantic Beach, and Baldwin, Florida, remained quasi-independent. Like the other towns, it maintains its own municipal government but its residents vote in the Jacksonville mayoral election and have representation on the Jacksonville city council. The population was 7,270 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 7,120. Neptune Beach was part of Jacksonville Beach until 1931 when residents voted to secede and incorporate as their own town. The name "Neptune Beach" was first applied to the area in 1922 when one of the few residents built his own train station, "Neptune", requiring the train to stop and take him to Mayport each day. Neptune Beach is part of the Jacksonville Beaches community.