Charles Gittins

Not to be confused with Charles Gittens.

Charles Gittins
Nickname(s)Charlie
Born(1956-10-26)October 26, 1956[1]
Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania
DiedMay 17, 2024(2024-05-17) (aged 67)[2]
Service / branchUnited States Marine Corps
United States Marine Corps Reserve[3]
Years of service1979-1992 (active duty)[3]
1992-1995 (reserve)[3]
RankLieutenant Colonel
UnitUnited States Marine Corps Judge Advocate Division[3]
Battles / warsGulf War
Other workLawyer who specializes in military cases

Charles William Gittins[4] (born October 26, 1956) is an American lawyer, who has worked for a number of noteworthy defendants in military courts martial.[5][6][7]

Gittins attended the United States Naval Academy, graduating in 1979. He then joined the Marine Corps where he served as a Radar Intercept Officer.[5]

Gittins graduated first in his class from The Catholic University of America's Columbus School of Law in 1987 and was in the Judge Advocate Corps for six years, before entering civilian life.[5][8] The first civilian firm Gittins worked for was Williams & Connolly.[5] While there he defended Robert E. Stumpf, Commander of the Blue Angels, and one of the principals in the Tailhook scandal.[9] He spent three and a half years there before founding his own firm.[5]

  1. ^ Hubbell, Martindale (March 2001). Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory, Volume 17. Martindale-Hubbell. ISBN 9781561604395.
  2. ^ "Obituary: Charles William Gittins". Legacy.com. Legacy. May 24, 2024. Retrieved June 27, 2024.
  3. ^ a b c d Rudy Socha, Carolyn Butler Darrow (March 2004). Above & Beyond: Former Marines Conquer the Civilian World. Turner Publishing Company. p. 89. ISBN 9781596520400.
  4. ^ "Charles William Gittins Profile | Winchester, VA Lawyer | Martindale.com".
  5. ^ a b c d e Rudy Socha, Carolyn Butler Darrow (2005). "Above & Beyond: Former Marines Conquer The Civilian World". Turner Publishing Company. pp. 89–90. ISBN 978-1-59652-040-0. Retrieved October 1, 2010.
  6. ^ Dolan, Matthew (March 10, 2004). "Increasing number of Navy officers being fired". The Virginian-Pilot. p. A1. Retrieved April 12, 2012. His most famous case involved Cmdr. Scott Waddle, commanding officer of the submarine Greeneville, which hit a Japanese training vessel in February 2001.
  7. ^ Perry, Tony (March 5, 2001). "Court to Begin Sub Crash Inquiry". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on March 5, 2016. Retrieved April 12, 2012. Waddle's attorney Charles Gittins, who has represented clients in several high-profile military cases, said Sunday that the collision was caused by a 'chain of mistakes' in the sub's control room that left his client unaware of the dangerous proximity of the trawler.
  8. ^ Gross, Jane (February 22, 1998). "Brash Civilian Lawyer Battles Army in Court-Martial". The New York Times. Archived from the original on March 5, 2016. Retrieved April 12, 2012. He was honored by the service with an invitation to go to law school at the expense of the Government. He graduated first in his class at Catholic University in May 1987.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  9. ^ McMichael, William H. (1997). The mother of all hooks: the story of the U.S. Navy's Tailhook Scandal. Transaction Publishers. ISBN 978-1-56000-293-2. Retrieved October 16, 2010.