Trappe is a town in Talbot County, Maryland, United States. The population was 1,146 at the 2000 census. The local telephone exchange is 476 and the area code is 410. The zipcode is 21673. Founding Father John Dickinson was born in Trappe, as was Baseball Hall of Famer Frank "Home Run" Baker. John Eisenhower lives in Trappe. On April 4, 2007, a small plane crashed into a field in Trappe, killing the private pilot and his two passengers. The aircraft had left White Plains, New York and was heading for North Carolina, when it enouuntered an area of intense thunderstorm activity. The left wing departed the ship while deviating around the area of bad weather. The NTSB determined the cause of the crash was "The pilot's improper decision to fly into an area of thunderstorms, which resulted in a loss of aircraft control and subsequent in-flight breakup. Contributing to the accident was the thunderstorm."

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