A latch assembly for releasably securing a first member in a closed position relative to a second member, one of said first member and said second member having a striker in a fixed positional relationship therewith, the latch assembly comprising: a housing; a pawl pivotally supported by said housing and being movable between a latched position and an unlatched position by pivotal movement about a pawl pivot axis, said pawl being provided with a torsion spring that biases said pawl toward the unlatched position; actuation means; a trigger pivotally supported by said housing, said trigger being movable between an engaged position and a disengaged position, said trigger having a first lever arm adapted to engage said pawl and maintain said pawl in said latched position when said pawl is in said latched position and said trigger is in said engaged position, said trigger having a second lever arm capable of engagement by said actuation means, said actuation means selectively engaging said second lever arm to move said trigger to said disengaged position to thereby allow said pawl to move to said unlatched position, said second lever arm pivoting toward said pawl as said trigger is moved from said engaged position to said disengaged position, and said trigger is pivotally movable about a trigger pivot axis that is parallel to and spaced apart from said pawl pivot axis, wherein said actuation means comprising a screw, a slide engaged by said screw such that rotation of said screw causes linear displacement of said slide between retracted and extended positions, said slide moving said trigger from said engaged position to said disengaged position as said slide moves from said retracted position to said extended position, a motor having an output shaft that is coupled to said screw such that said screw rotates in response to rotation of said output shaft of said motor, and a compression spring in engagement with said slide such that said compression spring drives said slide to said retracted position when the motor is not energized, wherein said compression spring is comprised of a first end and a second end, wherein said first end engages said slide and said second end engages said second lever arm, wherein said screw, said slide, and said motor each have a longitudinal axis and wherein said longitudinal axes of said screw, said slide, and said motor are all in line with one another. a housing; a pawl pivotally supported by said housing and being movable between a latched position and an unlatched position by pivotal movement about a pawl pivot axis, said pawl being provided with a torsion spring that biases said pawl toward the unlatched position; actuation means; a trigger pivotally supported by said housing, said trigger being movable between an engaged position and a disengaged position, said trigger having a first lever arm adapted to engage said pawl and maintain said pawl in said latched position when said pawl is in said latched position and said trigger is in said engaged position, said trigger having a second lever arm capable of engagement by said actuation means, said actuation means selectively engaging said second lever arm to move said trigger to said disengaged position to thereby allow said pawl to move to said unlatched position, said second lever arm pivoting toward said pawl as said trigger is moved from said engaged position to said disengaged position, and said trigger is pivotally movable about a trigger pivot axis that is parallel to and spaced apart from said pawl pivot axis, wherein said actuation means comprising a screw, a slide engaged by said screw such that rotation of said screw causes linear displacement of said slide between retracted and extended positions, said slide moving said trigger from said engaged position to said disengaged position as said slide moves from said retracted position to said extended position, a motor having an output shaft that is coupled to said screw such that said screw rotates in response to rotation of said output shaft of said motor, and a compression spring in engagement with said slide such that said compression spring drives said slide to said retracted position when the motor is not energized, wherein said compression spring is comprised of a first end and a second end, wherein said first end engages said slide and said second end engages said second lever arm, wherein said screw, said slide, and said motor each have a longitudinal axis and wherein said longitudinal axes of said screw, said slide, and said motor are all in line with one another.