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").
Lynden is the second largest city in Whatcom County. Named and established in 1874 on the site of the Noocksack Indian village Squahalish, the town began as a pioneer settlement headed by Holden and Phoebe Judson and is today home to one of the largest CRC Dutch American communities in the nation. Lynden is approximately five miles south of the U.S. -Canadian border, with Lynden-Aldergrove operation and port of entry hours between 8:00 a.m. and midnight. The population was 9,020 at the 2000 census. Residents of Lynden are known as "Lyndenites". Lynden is also home to the Northwest Washington Fair.