Alexandra Gonzalez-Waddington

I was falsely accused of sexual assault in March of 2016 and by September of 2018 all the sexual assault charges had been dropped, but they fabricated two more charges. The Navy JAG recommended I take an NJP and just be done with this. I could not in good conscience take a plea deal for something I d...idn't do. So in October of 2017, I googled military lawyer and found Waddington & Gonzalez www.UCMJdefense.com. I got them on the phone and they took my case immediately. It was nerve racking not hearing from them in the beginning, but the closer I got to my courts martial, the more they reached out for clarification about my case. When Mr. Waddington showed up for my courts martial, he was thoroughly prepared and ready to do battle. Mrs. Gonzalez-Waddington was back at the office working behind the scenes with their assistant Sandra. It was like a real Justice League! My name, reputation and 22yr Navy career was at stake. But after a 4-day trial, I was found not guilty on both counts. My career was saved and I'm in the process of having everything expunged from CODIS and restore all that I lost. Definitely worth the money spent. I will never trust JAG again, nor recommend any of my sailor to either.

My situation began in 2016 when a female falsely accused me of sexual assault. Shortly after, I received a phone call from a police investigator, who asked me to provide my statement. I, wanting my side of the story heard, initially agreed, but decided to ask a local attorney to accompany me. This la...wyer ultimately advised against my meeting with the police and instead contacted them on my behalf and represented me going forward. The next couple of months were extremely nerve-wracking so when I received word that the District Attorney dismissed the case I thought everything was great. It wasn't. The Navy contacted me shortly thereafter and informed me of an NCIS investigation for the same allegation. They further informed me that I was placed on legal hold from my impending separation date and the nightmare started all over again. Unfortunately, my local attorney was not familiar with military law, but very fortunately, I was referred to Gonzalez & Waddington Attorneys at Law as the recognized experts in military sexual assault cases and I contacted them for a consultation. Almost immediately, I received a call from the firm's assistant, Sandra, who put me in touch with Alexandra Gonzalez-Waddington for an initial consultation. Mrs. Waddington was very understanding and professional during the interview and put me at ease by thoroughly explaining the process to me and gave me the feeling that I had a seriously experienced team on my side. I definitely had a renewed peace of mind once she agreed the firm would take on my case. In the meantime, a second female band-wagoned with a new sexual assault allegation, making my case that much more complex. While I was completely comfortable with my choice of attorney, things were quickly worsening, and my anxiety was rapidly escalating. Although my interaction with Alexandra was exclusively remote via email or phone, she handled a majority of their pre-trial information gathering and discussions with me, and any time I needed to speak with her she was extremely responsive. Her husband Mr. Michael Waddington attended my Motions Hearing and was instantly impressed. After I spent the afternoon discussing the case, I knew I made the right decision hiring the Gonzalez & Waddington Attorneys at Law firm. I felt comfortable whenever I spoke with my attorneys about the situation despite the stress and angst that were constantly resident in my life. Mr. Waddington arrived the weekend before my court martial and came ready for battle. I was his and my Navy-appointed JAG's sole focus from that point forward and watching them work was simply amazing. At the end of the trial, after six terrifying hours of jury deliberation, I was found Not Guilty of all charges against me, six in total. At times it is difficult to get in touch with them, especially when your case is several months away. However, it is important to remember the best attorneys are the busiest attorneys, and Michael and Alexandra are among the top attorneys in this field. They are constantly either in preparation for a trial or arguing a case. As my case approached, communication with my JAG, Michael, and Alexandra increased exponentially and there was never any indication of their not having a complete handle on the situation. The financial price for their services seems high but is worth it, especially when you consider what is at stake: for me, it was my freedom, my name, and my future. My life, really. I can say without a doubt that hiring Alexandra Gonzalez-Waddington was the best decision I ever made and I highly recommend her firm to any military member facing a sexual assault-related charge.

During my last tour before retirement I was flagged and investigated by CID for sexual offenses and fraternization that went back a few years. These allegations were potentially career, family and life ending. We just bought a new house and my children were settled into a new high school. My family d...id not know about the allegations. After waiting a week for a TDS lawyer to return my calls, I decided to look for civilian representation. I had too much at stake. I talked to two other civilian lawyers and one talked about his prior military service and bragged about how great he was. The other was very negative and made me feel like a terrible person. I talked with Alexandra and I liked her firm but reassuring manner. She listened without judging me and we discussed how to handle my family situation. She warned me that it was a challenge to get sex charges dropped in the current political environment but we would try. Their retainer was not cheap but was what I expected for a top quality law firm. We developed a plan of action and prepared for court. She had me gather as much helpful information as possible about my case and the accusers and I gave them to the firm. She returned my texts and calls and guided me if I had any questions. There was talk of a court martial but I ended up getting a reprimand. I was able to get closure on this chapter of my life. I am grateful for her being there during this difficult time in my life and retire with my honor and dignity intact.

Alexandra Gonzalez-Waddington is truly a God send. Within 5 minutes of our initial conversation I KNEW this was the law firm I had to procure for my son's defense. She was extremely confident and knowledgeable regarding the military legal system. Although my ex-husband and I were both prior military ...we had NO idea how convoluted and unjust the military legal system really is. Alexandra never made us any promises other than she promised to fight the case as if she was fighting for one of her family members. Trust me she did just that - she exposed CID (Criminal Investigation Dept.) for their low down sneaky tactics they used to force a confession from my son. I’m 100% convinced that had I not hired this law firm my son would still be sitting behind bars in the Naval Brig in Charleston, SC. I'll tell anyone regardless of the cost its money well spent. My son is a free man, still active duty with no felony conviction or sex registry requirements. His JAG attorney had nearly convinced him to accept a plea deal in lieu of a court marital but as his parents we simply could not allow our son to take the fall for something he absolutely did not do. If you want an attorney who knows the regulations and is willing to put in the long hours to ensure you a fair trial then by all means hire this law firm. I promise you it will be the best decision you ever made in your life. If this is a new experience for you and you have questions I'll give the Waddington's permission to share my contact details so I can help answer some of your questions. I know firsthand how frightening this experience can be. I’m forever grateful for Alexandra for giving my son his life back.

Despite advising her that I wanted to attend my next divorce hearing, Mrs. Gonzalez-Waddington failed to inform me of my 30-day progress hearing, resulting in my being physically absent. I only found out about the hearing as I called her the day before about a different issue, and as I live out of s...tate it was impossible to get there in time for the hearing. Her excuse was that she did not have my correct mailing address which was false as I had no problem receiving in the mail all her invoices asking me for money. Additionally, I had asked her to represent me firmly on one issue and stressed its importance to me (it was the only issue I cared about) and she totally ignored my concerns nor addressed them. Furthermore, in order to receive an answer to any questions you may have, you either have to call her several times or repeatedly and I mean repeatedly send e-mails to receive an answer, if you eventually get one at all. I do not recommend her at all and believe you will receive better service from any other lawyer.