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").
Oberlin is a city in Lorain County, Ohio, United States, to the south and west of Cleveland. Oberlin is perhaps best known for being the home of Oberlin College, a liberal arts college and music conservatory with approximately 3,000 students. The town is also the birthplace of the Anti-Saloon League. The second largest employer in Oberlin (after the eponymous College) is the Federal Aviation Administration, which houses an Air Route Traffic Control Center in the town. Cleveland Air Route Traffic Control Center is one of the most transitioned air traffic control centers in the country, and oversees the airspace over six states and a small part of Canada. Oberlin is governed by a city manager and a seven-member council which is elected to two-year terms in a non-partisan election. The current Oberlin city manager is Eric Norenberg. The current City Council is President Kenneth Sloane, Vice President Sharon Fairchild-Soucy, H. Scott Broadwell, Bryan Burgess, Elizabeth Meadows, Charles Peterson, and Kate Pilacky. The population was 8,195 at the 2000 census.