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").
Bainbridge Island is an island-city in Kitsap County, Washington, United States, located in Puget Sound. The population was 20,308 at the 2000 census but is now estimated at over 26,000. In July 2005, CNN/Money and Money magazine named Bainbridge Island the second-best place to live in the United States. Its crime rate is also significantly below the national average. The local newspapers are the Bainbridge Island Review (weekly) and the Kitsap Sun (a daily that also produces the weekly Islander). The Bainbridge Conversation and the Voice of Bainbridge are two blogs with regular commentary on island issues.