Allen Trapp

This week's member in the spotlight is Allen Trapp of Carrollton, GA. Allen graduated with honors from the University of Tennessee and magna cum laude from the Georgia State University College of Law. When asked why he became a lawyer, Allen responded, "I did not have the talent to play first base for the Baltimore Orioles (or any other MLB team)." Seriously, Allen was so impressive at debate at 14 years of age. His coach encouraged him to pursue law for which we all can be grateful!

Allen has completed the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration 24-hour Standardized Field Sobriety Testing course, a Drug Recognition Expert course, and owns an Intoxilyzer 5000. He is board certified by the National College for DUI Defense. He is author of Georgia DUI Survival Guide (3rd edition), Georgia Criminal Law Survival Guide, and co-author of the Tennessee Criminal Law: Handbook for Citizens, in addition to several articles published in The Champion and the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. He has lectured on DUI/DWI in Georgia, Texas, Ohio, West Virginia, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Florida, Wyoming, and Arizona. Allen is a member of the Georgia Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (serving as Vice President from 2009-2012), Georgia Defense Of Drinking Drivers Group, National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, and has served as the Georgia Delegate to the NCDD from 2008-2014.

Allen has been honored by his peers as a Super Lawyer in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, and again in 2014. He was named DUI Lawyer of the Year by the Georgia DODD (Defense of Drinking Drivers) in 2005, and received the DUI Appellate Lawyer of the Year award in 2011. He received the NCDD's Dean's Award in 2013 and three pro bono awards from the Georgia State Bar. In line with his expertise, he has appeared on national television shows including Dateline NBC, CNN Talk Back Live and has been interviewed by the Atlanta media on dozens of occasions.

Allen's favorite wins demonstrate his overall criminal law success. They include the Metcalf-Post murder trial in 1998, Charlie Hayes murder trial in 2005, a 250 pound marijuana trafficking case in 2007, reversal of two homicides by vehicle convictions (State v. Collier) in 2005, followed in December of that year by not guilty verdicts for the same client in a kidnapping/mutiny in a penal institution case.

Of very noble character, Allen is also a major giver to his community. He is very involved with the Kiwanis Club. Among the many Kiwanis awards he has received, he was honored with the highest national award in 2008, the Hixson fellowship. He is known as the voice of the Kiwanis Bowl (youth football tournament) for 20 years running. He is co-founder of Spare Shelter, a live radio remote to raise money and goods for the Carroll County Emergency Shelter, and he is the recruiter for Dr. Seuss Day in Carroll where volunteers go to every elementary school in the county to read and give books to children.

As a proud father, Allen always loves to share news about his ambitious daughter, who is a senior at the University of Mississippi, with a 4.0 GPA as a chemical engineering major. No doubt, the standards he sets and encourages in all facets of his life are impressively high. To relax and being of a very broad mind, Allen enjoys travel. His favorite countries visited are Budapest, United Kingdom, and South Africa. He also loves to play baseball and shoot guns. The NCDD would like to thank and honor Allen Trapp for the bar he sets and for all that he does for NCDD and others. Allen, we love you and you make us proud!