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 Michael Waddington as the recognized expert in military sexual assault cases. I contacted his firm, Gonzalez & Waddington Attorneys at Law 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 Mrs. Waddington 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. Mr. Waddington attended my Motions Hearing and I was impressed with his demeanor and spent the afternoon discussing the case. 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 him, especially when your case is several months away. However, it is important to remember the best attorneys are the busiest attorneys, and Michael Waddington is among the top attorneys in this field. He is 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 Michael Waddington was the best decision I ever made and I highly recommend him to any military member facing a sexual assault-related charge.

Mr. Waddington is hands down the best defense lawyer around for any kind of sexual assault related cases. He goes above and beyond in his preparation for court. Things may seem slow while working back and forth over email and phone, but when he arrives to prepare for court with you it is full throt...tle. He will put in the hours and review your case/evidence from every angle and determine what is the best defense strategy for you. He also cares about you as an individual, not just a client. He is considerate and thoughtful about your physical and mental state throughout the trial. For those who are on the fence about Mr. Waddington and his team, I 100% recommend him. On the scariest day of my life I'm glad I hired Mr. Waddington and wouldn't want to be defended by anyone but him and his team. He saved my life.

My life came crashing down around me in January 2017, I was pulled in the Air Force's Special Investigation office and told I was being accused of Article 120, Sexual Assault. It was the second worst day of my life. Immediately following I was assigned a military defense council and starting the nigh...t mare. I hired Mr. Waddington in May when I was officially charged. As soon as I did his wife started piecing together the case and helping to walk me through what to expect. My 32 hearing came up, and we tried to wave it. However, the government chose to proceed anyway. At the hearing things were presented that I thought was a slam dunk. Long story short I got the recommendation to have it dropped, but it was instead pushed forward just like Mr. Waddington said it would be. Flash forward to the second week of December when the trial is set to begin. I met Mr. Waddington for the first time on Sunday. I was unsure of what to expect, but before me stood a very big personality in the room. We talked through what to expect and how he wanted to proceed. The trail kicked off on Tuesday and away he went. The opening argument from the prosecution was sickening. They made me out to be the biggest monster in the world, and played a good show of theatrics that had the jury on the verge of tears. Mr. Waddington got up and gave a brief but powerful opening statement. As trial proceeded, he expertly cross examined every witness and make them look like fools. He caught them in lie after lie, and starting to lay the foundation for motive. When the alleged victim testified, she answered almost every question with, "I don't know." He was still able to catch her in lies, and had her looking to her legal team at a loss for words. Every time the prosecution would object he would laugh it off and steer around the objection to still get to the intended destination. It was like watching someone throw darts at inflated balloons and seeing them pop. When closing arguments came, I thought I was doomed. The went on for over an hour about how I was a violent predator and a monster. They went on to say how their case was proven and tried to only use certain parts of witnesses testimonies and disregard other facts. I cried for ten minutes in the hall with all hope lost. Mr. Waddington got up and gave his closing argument, and he meticulously picked apart every word they said, exposing the holes an showing that I did not do what I was accused of. Once it came time to deliberate, he sat me down and talked me through what to expect if things didn't go well for us, and then let me sit in with my wife and family to await verdict. I sat there looking at videos and pictures of my daughters...it was the worst moment of my life. After three hours the jury came out and gave me a not guilty verdict....I almost collapsed from emotion. Afterwards, I went back with Mr. Waddington and co-counsel to decompress and talk. He told me about how much he loved defending military members, and wished me the best of luck with my life since it was my own again. We parted ways after that. I cannot thank this man enough, he gave me back my life. If you are in a situation such as this....hire him. Yes, the cost is high...but the results are worth it. He is not a cheap lawyer from down the street. He is a hard hitting defense attorney that is worth his weight in gold. He is a very well put together man, and his presence in the room is felt by all. He is very professional but at the same time, a normal person. He jokes, he laughs and he is up front and honest from the start. I cannot say enough good things about this man. Hire him, don't think about it...just do it. He will give you your life back...he gave me mine back and for that I am eternally grateful.

I hired Mike Waddington when they Army started an investigation on me for fraternization, abusive sexual contact, and wrongful appropriation of government property. I was two months shy of retirement and I decided not to take any chances. His retainer was a little steep but well worth it. The investi...gation was shut down a few months later and I was allowed to retire with honor and dignity.

In October of 2016 I learned I was under investigation and shortly after learned it was for two charges of sexual assault. The investigation, decisions, etc. took months and in May 2017 I was taken to an administrative discharge board. At this point in my career I had over 23 years of service and my ...approved retirement was cancelled until the outcome of the board. Months before the decision to go to a board I hired Michael Waddington and he worked alongside my military legal counsel. The time leading up to the board was tense and I provided whatever information I could to both of my attorneys. At times I felt no one was doing anything with the information and I would remind myself it is a slow process and things would work out eventually. Be prepared to do a lot of work yourself by seeking out people that will stand by you, get letters written, ask folks to testify, etc. My real interaction with Michael was when he flew in for my board and began preparing. Michael presented a strong case for me and while my two accusers did not testify (not mandatory with a board), he did cross examine one “witness” and Michael kept his cool the entire time. The “witness” lost his temper, Michael smashed his creditability, and it was obvious the “witness” was lying. In addition, both of my attorneys had a game plan and knew when to object and when to let things slide. As the days passed I felt I was in good hands. Michael and my military attorney also made the prosecution look ridiculous…they found weaknesses and pounced on opportunities to show it. Part of me believes my military attorney stepped up her game because she would be working side-by-side with Michael…that is something to consider when hiring him as well. Luckily I had two great attorneys…Michael and my military counsel. In the end I was found “not guilty.” I was falsely accused and the military/government did not care about me, did not believe me, and no matter what the accusers said the prosecution used that against me. Be ready for a low point in your life because you cannot trust anyone. I cannot speak about Michael’s performance for someone who is sincerely guilty of a crime, but in my case he helped save all the benefits that I had earned over 23 years of service. I am now retired from active duty and thankful that I opted to hire Michael during the most stressful period of my life. I only wish I could hire him again to sue the women that falsely accused me. Sadly, there is nothing I can really do to them in this day and age. Hopefully in time those falsely accused can sue those that try to ruin their careers/lives. I still possess a lot of anger towards the military and how easily it allows false accusations to occur. In closing, while his services do cost a lot, in the long run having him on your side may help you save money and your career in the long run. He presented a solid case, worked on it the entire time he was in town, and his opening/closing statements were well thought out. During the board he would let me know what was going on and provide honest feedback about various topics. Michael devoted all his attention during the time he was in town to ensure he gave me the best possible defense. If you find yourself in a bad situation like I was hiring Michael will give you some piece of mind. He will work for you and hopefully give you the best possible outcome for your situation.