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").
Osterville is one of the seven villages within the Town of Barnstable, Massachusetts. The village of Osterville is located on the south side of Barnstable on Nantucket Sound. Osterville is primarily a residential community that includes marshes, bays, ponds, a small lake, beaches,and a small business district. Osterville's business district includes a public library, gift stores, women's fashions, restaurants, a small market, banks with ATMs, a pizza place, package store (spirits), a U.S. Post Office, a hardware store, art galleries, barber & beauty shops, and many real estate brokers. During July and August, Osterville's population swells due to the many seasonal residents. Many summer residents maintain a second home in Osterville while residing most of the year in the Greater Boston area. The village is known for its oceanfront estates. The cemetery for the village of Osterville is the Hillside Cemetery on Old Mill Road. Armstrong-Kelley Park, the oldest and largest privately-owned park on Cape Cod, is located in Osterville. Crosby Boat Yard is the home of the famous Crosby catboat, and the Wianno senior, both well respected within the sailing community and the latter a favorite of nearby Hyannisport resident President John F. Kennedy. A steel drawbridge connects the village to Little Island and Great Island (also known as Oyster Harbors), a gated community featuring many luxury homes and a private country club. The neighborhood of Wianno abuts the East Bay section of Osterville. There are two private country clubs in Osterville: The Wianno Club and the Oyster Harbors Club. Each club has an associated private 18 hole golf course, private tennis facilities, and a private beach. The Wianno Yacht Club, a private club on West Bay, offers childrens sailing lessons to both members and non-members. Osterville once had a thriving Community Center (recreational facility with an indoor basketball court, pool room, and ping pong room) in the heart of the Village, behind the Baptist Church, that was torn down. Osterville is also home to a well known private K-12 school, Cape Cod Academy. Dowses Beach in Osterville is a Town of Barnstable beach with limited automobile parking available to town residents only yet anyone can walk in. There are toilet facilities with showers and a beach house for changing in privacy. Lifeguards are present during the Summer months only.