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").
Brookings is a city in Curry County, Oregon, United States. It was named after John E. Brookings, president of the Brookings Lumber and Box Company, which founded the city in 1908. The population was 5,447 at the 2000 census. As of 2007, Brookings had a population of over 6,455 within the city limits. The total population of the Brookings area is over 13,000, which includes Harbor, and others. There have been numerous proposals to annex the nearby unincorporated areas into Brookings; while most attempts failed over the years, one large area north of town owned by Borax has succeeded. This development has the potential to add approximately 1000 homes over the next 20 years, although developers expect many of them to be occupied only seasonally. Due to its location, Brookings is subject to winter (and less frequently summer) temperatures considered unseasonably warm for the Oregon Coast. Temperatures can reach 70 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit (21 to 27 degrees Celsius) throughout the year. This is due in part to the marine influences from its location on the Pacific Ocean, but mostly from its situation at the foot of the Klamath Mountains, whose winds compress and warm the air flowing onto Brookings. This is called the Brookings effect or Chetco effect. But while area real estate agents and other unobjective sources have dubbed Brookings the "banana belt" of the Oregon coast, this is no Baja California. Heavy rain is common in the winter. Heavy fog is common in the summer. The current marketing "brand" for the community, through the Brookings-Harbor Chamber of Commerce, is "The Pulse of America's Wild Rivers Coast". America's Wild Rivers Coast is a regional marketing brand for Curry County, Oregon, and Del Norte County, California.