Morganza is an unincorporated community in St. Mary's County, Maryland, United States. Today, it is home to a few homes and St. Joseph's Catholic Church, which had been in the area since 1759. The current church on Route 5 at the top of the hill was built in 1860 and the Morganza Post Office was established there in 1867, named after the Morgan family. The post office is now located across from Chopticon High School. Morganza was home to two public one-room school houses and the church opened a parochial school for white students in 1926 and for black children in 1927. St. Joseph's original cemetery is located at the bottom of the hill along Route 5 and for many years was forgotten under dense underbrush, but has since been cleared. The current 4-acre cemetery across from St. Joseph's was purchased in 1904.

What is criminal defense law?

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").

Answers to criminal defense law issues in Maryland

The Fourth Amendment of the Constitution says that you have a right to be free of unreasonable police searches and...

The general criteria for making an arrest is what is referred to as probable cause. Probable cause arises when there...

There are two different types of warrants that may be issued:

  • arrest warrants - an order issued by a...

The Miranda decision relates specifically to the rights of a criminal suspect after he has been detained by the...

Bail is typically set by a magistrate or a judge who considers the seriousness of the offense and the likelihood of...

Early in the course of a criminal proceeding, the defendant will be brought into court and the charges brought...

At any point during this process the defendant may plead guilty to the charge leveled against him or her. Likewise,...

Criminal offenses can be divided into two general categories:

  • ­felonies -- a crime for which a person...

The distinguishing feature of criminal law is the element of punishment. The purpose of criminal law is to punish...

There are several defenses that can be raised in a criminal case. The defenses listed here are a sampling of those...

Federal court opinions concerning criminal defense law in Maryland