Phoenix is an unincorporated community located in Baltimore County in the State of Maryland in the United States of America. It is located at latitude 39°30'59" North, longitude 76°36'59" West. The United States Postal Service has assigned Phoenix the ZIP code 21131. Part of the area is also known as Jacksonville, although Jacksonville was once a separate community to the east. Phoenix is a fast-growing area with its own elementary school, Jacksonville Elementary. Jacksonville Manor Shopping Center has two grocery stores, a McDonald's, two gas stations, a 7-11, Rite-Aid, Bank of America, Bagelmeister, Strapasta Trattoria, a liquor store, and a Volunteer Fire Department. Phoenix provided the setting for many scenes in Baltimore native John Waters' 1972 cult classic film Pink Flamingos; the film's chief character, Divine, lived there in a trailer, which was deliberately burned down approximately two-thirds of the way into the movie.

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...