“An accusation of sexual assault or Assault and Battery is a major life-changing event for any military service member. As a Senior NCO with over 20 years, you will be ignored, looked at like you are guilty before you even have a trial. DoD-provided Trial defense lawyers; you’ll be told to “just wait” or “stand by” until things get to the worst possible point and then offered a Chapter 10 to speed up the process of getting you out losing everything you worked for. If you’re a fighter for what you earned in your career and family life. I highly recommend you hire a dedicated professional like Michael Waddington and his team. My investigation started in November 2019 and then charged in September 2020 causing extreme life stressors. The process of locating a civilian lawyer is also not intuitive, as many of the websites are misleading or confusing. Again, consider what your life is worth to you. Consider the lifelong repercussions of a dishonorable or other-than-honorable discharge, and realize that you will not be able to fight the vast resources of the U.S. Government alone. The Waddington team actually answers their phones. They text back in a timely manner. They will review all the evidence, even as it continues to change and grow over time, and they will construct the best possible case to save your life. Expenses may seem like a lot of money, but I know to this day that it’s some of the best money I have ever spent. Do yourself a favor; before talking to anyone, hire Michael Waddington.” (US Army E-7).

“Mr and Mrs waddington represented me at a board for accusations of sexual assault kidnapping and assault as well as various other offenses. From the moment I was notified that I was going to a board I knew that my command was going to throw everything they could at me. I embarrassed them and they accused me of a crime I was innocent of. I knew I needed a great attorney .I ended up getting two great attorneys a husband and wife team. Whenever I had questions or needed information about my case Mrs. Waddington was on it. She responded lighting quick and was clear concise and very comforting. Together with Mr.Waddington they prepared for conflict. We did get that conflict and to say the prosecution was outgunned outclassed would be underselling it. From the moment Mr.Waddington first opened his voice and presence was commanding and powerful. Mr.Waddington did something that the prosecution did not do. He appealed to the boards common sense and used reason and logic to win over our case something the prosecutors were trying vehemently to suppress. When cross examination came for the special investigators of our case we were all in for a treat. Mr.Waddington took control of the court room and embarrassed a rookie agent and showed how poor and inadequate a job he had done investigating my allegations. He failed to investigate my allegations impartially and had the audacity to say after raising his right hand that he was impartial. Mr.Waddington asked the agent if he used the DOD regulations to investigate my accusation, this man who graduated from special agent school did not even know what the regulations were. It goes to show you how careless they investigated my case not even following there own regulations. When a young man’s life is in jeopardy you should know those regulations. After a three day battle at the board, we had our closings. The prosecutation failed to appeal to the boards emotion. They name called me belittled me and degraded me. Mr.Waddington did the opposite throughout the closing and the trial. He showed that I was a human being with hope’s and dreams. A young man who swore an oath to defend the constitution just like those on the board. He used logic common sense and reasoning which the government just did not have. His Closing was powerful and straight to the point. The board deliberated and came back with all counts being unfounded. Let me tell you there were a lot of counts. It was incredible and reinvigorated me, a guy that at one point was down and out for the count. Mr and Mrs waddington thank you for what you did for me and what you do for other service members I will never forget it.” (US Air Force E-4).

“The Waddington’s saved my life! If I would have used a military appointed “TDS” attorney I would have been in jail. The military lawyer told me without even reviewing the case to take a plea deal. As soon as Michael got on board he handled everything professionally and timely! The quality of work this family puts into a case is unparalleled! Michael ensured I got the fairest possible trial with all the proper legal defense I was entitled to. He advised me every step of the way. Michael exposed all the corruption and lies from CID the prosecutors and my command team as well as the person who made the allegations against me. No stone was left unturned! Don’t chance it with the military they will lie and lie and lie and get you thrown in jail. Call Michael immediately and sleep easy at night knowing that the Waddington’s are on it! Outstanding professional no nonsense down to earth people and even better attorneys! Thank you from the bottom of my heart!” (US Army E-5).

“If you’re looking for attorneys that don’t back down you’ve came to the right place. I was facing 3x sexual assault charges and 3x assault charges if it wasn’t for Mr.Waddington and his wife I’d be in prison. TDS Army attorney wanted me to say I was guilty and telling me I was going to prison. Mr.Waddington went in that court room and took control the prosecution didn’t know what to do. I can’t thank them enough any questions I had were answered. Without a doubt worth every penny. The panel took about 45 min to come out NOT GUILTY.” (US Army E-5).

“I want to start by saying I am extremely satisfied with the work of Michael and Alexandra, you guys are an amazing team and I am so thankful for you both. I (Staff NCO in the Army) waited until 1 week before the Article 39 hearing to schedule a consultation with Michael and Alexandra; I wish I had done so from the beginning. I was dealing with a lot of psychological issues from the allegations, unanswered questions, and uncertainties. Bringing them onto my team provided immediate relief, they helped me to think clearly and focus on the goal of winning my case. In the weeks leading up to my Court martial, the Waddingtons and my detailed attorney revealed numerous inconsistencies. All I had to do at this point was show up and explain what actually happened. Naturally, lies don’t make sense especially when the are compounding on each other. This all held true during the court proceedings. Long story short, my accuser got on the stand and gave her well rehearsed testimony for the prosecutor. When Michael got up there to do cross, he was calm and slowly started peeling apart her layers and layers of deceit. There were dozens of inconsistencies, the majority of which were blatant lies or cover-ups and even crimes which were highlighted for the panel to see. The Court room is truly Michael’s domain. In the end I was acquitted of all charges and specifications. I was able to have a nice dinner with my family and talk about the future without prefacing “depends on how this court martial goes but”; that feels amazing. Hiring Michael and Alexandra was the best decision of my life, if you are in a similar situation get them on the phone asap. Some additional tips for whoever finds themselves here: -If you are being investigated by CID for allegations of violating article 120, do not wait around. Be pro-active, retain a great attorney and get to work. The Army will not provide you an assigned attorney until you have actually been charged with a crime; What if there is something in your case that could curtail the entire process? You wouldn’t even know and that’s how the Government likes it. Because they have every intention of charging you even if it’s solely based on the word of you accuser. -DO NOT talk to CID, do not confide in you Chain of Command. Don’t even discuss the details of your case with Mom, Dad, or best friend. -Your CO will issue a Military Protective Order as a “standard” thing. This will deny you certain liberties like purchasing and owning a firearm since it gets submitted to the FBI. Make sure to ask the question why your CO is processing an MPO without an expiration date, or as a matter of fact without any evidence. Seems unlawful to me, but this is all in retrospect because I ignorantly signed it as I had no real legal representation at the time it was issued. -You’ll be flagged the entire time, no way around this. Just continue to do your best at work, show them how resilient you are and contribute to the growth of your Company. Do not give them any excuse to label you a dirt bag, or worse stack on additional charges. Good luck.” (US Army E-6).

“I was falsely accused of abusive sexual contact while attending a military service academy. The investigation started the summer before my final year. During this time, I was in a very dark place. Although my commission and graduation were in jeopardy, I did not tell my parents until the holiday break. My parents wanted to look outside the military for a quality defense lawyer. We spoke with New York law firms and some lawyers we found online. We decided to hire Gonzalez and Waddington. A few other reviews mentioned that the Waddington’s were expensive. However, they were much less expensive than the New York lawyers that we talked to. They also had much more experience than the other law firms we interviewed. A few New York lawyers quoted my family over $150,000 for a trial, plus expenses. The Waddington firm cost much less, which surprised us a little. Trust me; they were well worth it. At first, I had faith in the system. Then, I realized the investigators assumed I was guilty when they did not interview many people who were favorable to me. When I heard from my friends that the investigators were trying to get my classmates to change their testimony, I knew they were gunning for me. After we hired them, Mr. Waddington worked closely with me to build a timeline, collect evidence, and assemble a list of witnesses. They gave me “homework,” which kept me active and engaged in my case. When I called, they listened to me and gave me hope. I could tell that they cared about me and my situation. Mr. Waddington explained that I was a key witness, so I documented as many details as possible. He guided me through the process, working together to build my defense. We decided to keep critical information hidden (texts, photos, statements) from the prosecution until the right time. Instead, we captured as much evidence as possible to use later. When the time came, Mr. Waddington used the information we gathered with great skill. He exposed the lies and holes in the prosecutor’s case. Finally, the Waddington’s cleared my name and reputation. Thankfully, I was commissioned and am on my way to a successful career. I owe my life and career to Michael and Alexandra. My family is forever grateful.” (US Army Cadet).

“I first retained the Waddington’s back in 2018, when I filed for divorce after I caught my wife cheating on me. In retaliation, she falsely accused me of sexually assaulting her throughout our marriage and domestic violence. OSI did no investigation. None, other than to take my wife’s statement. They took her word as gold and dragged the investigation out over a year. I don’t know what took so long. My command turned on me instantly and sided with my ex-wife. They removed me from my job and assigned me to a menial job. They destroyed my 12-year career in the blink of an eye. At first, I was in shock. How could the Air Force turn on me after so many years? Then, I became bitter and depressed as the months wore on. A few months into the investigation, I hired Michael and Alexandra and instantly felt like a weight was lifted from my shoulders. Alexandra was my rock. I mainly dealt with her during the investigation. She gave me hope. By the time I was charged, I was ready to fight. I had gathered a lot of evidence to use in court during the investigation. When I got the preferred charges, I was glad to get it over with. By this point, my ex had dragged out our divorce for a year. She was using the false allegations against me in family court as leverage. Her corrupt Air Force victim’s lawyer and her divorce lawyer kept delaying the divorce, hoping to get a conviction so that she could take the kids, the house and get three years of victim compensation benefits. As we got ready for court, the Waddington’s and my ADC worked together seamlessly. By the time Michael flew in for trial, we were prepared for battle. In the court martial, it was no contest. The Air Force JAGs were no match for Michael, and they literally looked like fools as Michael ripped their witnesses apart. It was kind of entertaining. My ex-wife was a puppet in his hands. I thought the OSI agent was going to start crying on the witness stand when Michael exposed his incompetent investigation and bias. At the beginning of his cross examination, Michael asked him if “his investigation was thorough and complete.” The OSI agent said “yes.” Then, Michael exposed him for not following his own training and the OSI instruction. In the end, after exposing his biased investigation, all of the evidence he did not collect, the people he did not interview, , Michael asked him again, “so you still think your investigation was thorough and complete?” The agent’s face turned bright red, and he said “yes.” The jury rolled their eyes. During the trial, I was nervous, but I was also enjoying every moment of it. The jury found me NOT GUILTY, and I was a free man. Yes, I had to rebuild my life and reputation, but that is better than sitting in jail for a crime you did not commit. I am grateful that I hired Alexandra and Michael when I did and cannot recommend them enough.” (US Air Force O-3).

“I retained the services of Alexandra Waddington as my defense attorney in July 2022 and couldn’t be happier with her representation in my false sexual assault case. Alexandra’s knowledge of military law was impressive and she effectively communicated the details of my case to me. She provided reliable legal advice and was always accessible for any questions. Through her hard work and expertise, Alexandra secured my freedom and future. I highly recommend her as a top-notch criminal defense lawyer, with unparalleled dedication to her clients. Ultimately, she succeeded in getting my charges dismissed before trial, allowing me to continue with my Coast Guard career.” (US Coast Guard E-6).

“I consulted with Alexandra about an ongoing CID investigation that I had been dealing with for over a year. In my situation, I had an affair with a woman that became my stalker after I stopped returning her calls and texts. Given the current victim SHARP climate in the Army, I should have hired a lawyer much earlier instead of going with TDS. After my first conversation with Alexandra I decided to hire her firm. I am glad that I did. She gave me very realistic advice and listened to my side. Other lawyers I talked to we negative and judgmental. Alexandra gave me a sense of hope during a dark period of my life. Alexandra put together a plan of action for the court martial that was coming. We were able to do a cell phone extraction using Mr Roloff a digital expert that she recommended. Thankfully, we recovered a lot of helpful information, like photos and text messages from the woman falsely accusing me of sexual assault. Her advice and the info we got off of my cell phone were enough to get my false accuser to back down before charges were filed. I was able to continue with my life and career thanks to Alexandra. I recommend her for anyone that is falsely accused of a sex crime in the Army.” (US Army E-7).

“I was an Army NCO and was about to be medically retired when my recently divorced ex-wife made serious allegations against me. I was terrified and didn’t know what to do. I spent a week trying to get a hold of TDS and received no response. I took my father’s advice and decided to find a civilian lawyer. I have to admit, I’ve never hired a criminal defense lawyer before, so I was a little bit overwhelmed by the number of lawyers out there. What caused me to choose Alexandra and her law firm was their videos and my initial consultation with her. She is the real deal. I was giving up hope, and she talked some sense into me. We came up with a plan, and she talked me through the process. She also took care of CID so they would stop harassing me. After a long investigation, the command took my wife’s side, even though her allegations were full of lies, and we had the proof. Knowing they would lose at a court-martial, the JAG persecutors tried to take me out with an administrative board, and they failed. Thanks to Gonzalez and Waddington, I won my board, and I’m now medically retired and living my best life.” (US Army E-7).