Michael S. Waddington

I hired Mike Waddington for a positive urinalysis case with an extremely low nanogram level, no evidence and a professionally reviewed report for prescribed medication. Months went by and as the Board of Inquiry date came near, it was clear that no preparation had been done except by me. I paid Mik...e Waddington 21,700.00$....10k was for board of inquiry prep. Mike Waddington flew in the day before to "prepare"...and that was NOT worth 10k and I paid for the travel and hotel so another $1700.00. The day of the board this Mike Waddington with all the positive reviews and reputation for aggressive defense went with submission and asking the members for mercy. This tactic did not work and resulted in a separation with an OTH, and I spent $21,700.00. Lawyers do not guarantee results but I paid for something and got nothing. It was also clear after the board when he was speechless. So unless you have a sexual assault/rape case going to a court martial...DO NOT HIRE!

I was accused of an Article 120 violation. I was interrogated by investigators for over 2 hours after I told them repeatedly that I did not do what was alleged. After that, I was "booked" and then put on hold from my current position immediately, which also prevented me from moving forward in my ca...reer and getting promoted. I was pretty much cast out of my unit and stuck in an office by myself with not much interaction from others. I went to the military defense office immediately and was basically told that this will most likely go to court, you will have a preliminary hearing in about 6 months and then you will have a courts martial a few months after that. While I understand now that the military defense lawyer was doing his job and keeping it "real" this news of course caused me instant grief to say the least. That's when I did my research and decided to contact the Waddington & Gonzalez law firm. I first talked to Sandra the paralegal who took my preliminary information and then put me in touch with Mrs. Waddington. She assured me that they would fight this to the bitter end and restore my name and reputation. I can honestly say, that she is VERY passionate about criminal cases and protecting her client’s innocence. Closer to the start of trial, I was in contact with Mr. Waddington who explained his strategy to me on how he was going to fight this case. He also reached out to obtain all “evidence” and had the judge secure my witnesses who the government at first denied. This was absolutely crucial to my case and without him, I’m not sure we would of succeeded with the defense witnesses. He also took an unprecedented step by fighting the prosecutors in a way which I can’t mention, as it may identify this exact case. Let’s just say, it’s something the military lawyer was not comfortable doing, but needed to be done. Mr. Waddington exposed the accuser for the liar and drama maker that she was. He was also able to call up witnesses to testify against her untruthfulness and back stabbing. If that doesn’t blow your mind, I’m not sure what will. Then during his closing arguments, he came up with multiple reasons and questions that the prosecution could not answer. The jury went back and deliberated for over an hour, and after they returned, the judge said, "Will the defense and accused please stand for the verdict...". The jury had reached their decision alright ….. not guilty! Thank you to my military lawyer and to the Waddington and Gonzalez law firm.

I can't exactly remember how I came across Mr. Waddington, but I watched some YouTube clippings of him and decided to set up a phone consultation. I was being charged with 4 sex crimes and 2 other felonies by the United States Army. Unbeknownst, they charged me without even having evidence back to so...lidify their claims; needless to say it was a witch hunt. I was at the lowest point of my career and life and ready to rollover and accept life in person and having to register as a sad oddender. Until I spoke with and hired Mr W. He demolished and embarrassed the military in the most professional of ways without even having to present witnesses or evidence other than a compelling closing argument. He fights your case as if he used to be a crooked prosecutor. He really knows the evil, corrupt and crooked games they play and the right questions they ask. He considers all scenarios and eloquently makes his arguments with more or less. He was able to get me acquitted on all of my sexual assault charges and burglary off of cross examination and thought - provoking rhetoric alone. I could only imagine what he can do when he really has to roll up his sleeves. He's really in a class of his own as far as defending sexual crimes and is worth every penny. Trust me when I say you CANNOT afford to NOT have him on your side. It's an experience I will never forget and thanks to him I can remember it as a free man.

Mr. Waddington is by far the best military lawyer anyone could ask for. I retained his services two years ago regarding a BAH fraud case that was causing me insurmountable despair and grief. After 19 years in the Army, I was about to lose everything I worked so hard for, personally and professionally.... From the moment I retained his firm, they immediately got on board and took charge of my case. Mr. Waddington kept my spirits high and reassured me that he was going to do everything in his power to make sure my case would have the best possible outcome. When he was in court, Alexandria would answer any questions I had. In the beginning he set out realistic goals of avoiding a conviction, avoiding prison, and saving my Army retirement. This thing drug on for a long time but Mr. Waddington told me that the longer it takes in this type of case, the less likely that I would get charged. At times, I must admit, I wanted this over with more than anything else and my anxiety was sky high. He told me to stand fast so I could get over 20 years. One time, I called to complain about my situation and he reminded me that I was still a free man, I had my family, and was getting paid. He told me things could be much worse and to have patience. He was right and I appreciated the reality check. Through his tireless work, no charges were filed and I received administrative paperwork and was allowed to retire .
I am positive that without his help, I would have ended up being charged and forced into a plea deal, going to jail and losing my retirement. I am thankful for the privilege of having him represent me. Not only did he save my career, I have my life back and my peace of mind. Thank you Mr Waddington. I would recommend him to anyone without reservation.

In early 2015 after 8 years of marriage, I found myself in the middle of a contentious divorce and custody battle, facing three counts of sexual assault and one count of physical assault. I thought cooperating with CGIS as well as turning over my phone (since I had nothing to hide) would absolve me ...of these accusations. It did NOT. Everything I said, CGIS twisted or used out of context to incriminate me. They even quoted biblical versus and insinuated that if my wife was having an affair it was my fault in some way. After my Article 32 hearing I asked my sister if she thought I should utilize Mr. Waddington. It was clear at that point the Coast Guard was determined to prosecute me and was in fact not on my side. However, I was already under a crushing amount of legal fees and the gamble of spending so much money on a person I had never seen work or even met in person was a bit daunting. My sister reminded me how displeased the prosecution was to hear I had retained him. She asked the all-important question: "How much is your freedom worth?" From that point on, there was no question, I was moving forward as planned. This decision was further validated when someone overheard the prosecutor speaking with the local legal assistance openly about my case and stated how surprised they were that I hired a very powerful and well known attorney who liked to, “go all the way”. I spent a lot of time gathering as much evidence as I could to prove my innocence as well as give my attorneys enough material to build a case. Due to shield laws that protect alleged victims, it can make entering relevant information nearly impossible. On more than one occasion I wasn't even sure if we could utilize the fact she was having an affair as evidence. This was a corner stone of our defense, but Mr. Waddington and as well as my JAG made sure we were able too. After fourteen months of uncertainty and with 90.5 years of prison time hanging over my head as well as sex offender status, my court martial began. Mr. Waddington and my JAG worked together seamlessly as if they had been working together for years. They planned for every contingency and were able to completely discredit my wife. Mr. Waddington got her to admit at one point that she had planned out some or all of these lies and that she was even abusive towards me. Every lie she told allowed us to utilize text messages, notes, threats and voicemails I had amassed over the last year. When she denied something we had in writing, he pointed at my JAG who had his iPad connected to the TV in the room. Mr. Waddington then read her own text message to the contrary of what she was saying. At one point the tally of lies we could prove she was telling was roughly 37. Together they destroyed her credibility, character, and through a well laid out timeline of events, were able to raise some serious questions about her motives behind these allegations. The prosecution could barely obtain an objection to our lines of questioning. Mr. Waddington and my JAG had planned one, if not three other arguments as to why this questioning or evidence was admissible. On the last day, a large audience had gathered to hear closing statements and the verdict. After only 40 minutes of deliberation, the jury had come to a decision… Innocent of all charges! After fourteen months of hell I had my life and future back. I couldn’t have asked for a better team to help protect me. If you are considering Mr. Waddington as a perspective defense attorney and wondering if all of his accolades are self-promotion and promises he can’t follow through on, I assure you they are NOT. He and his wife are an amazing team. They will fight for you, and genuinely care about their clients. I will never be able to thank them enough. Thank you for protecting my freedom and getting my life back!