Charles was born in Mobile, Alabama and attended University Military School for grammar school and high school. He then attended the University of South Alabama, also in Mobile. His initial idea upon entering undergraduate studies was that he wanted to be a physician, hence a pre-med major. As the direction of many young men often does, that changed. He found out that the practical sciences, such as biology, were not near as interesting to him as the social sciences, anthropology and sociology. He graduated from South Alabama with a BA in sociology and a minor in anthropology. Along the way in his undergraduate degree he became interested in the law, fell in love with her, and attended the Cumberland School of Law at Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama.  Charles would join the Alabama State Bar Association in 1994 and the Florida Bar Association in 2005.
 
Charles worked from a young age for his father's company in Mobile. The company sold marine electronics, dealt in electronic parts and components, sold both residential and commercial electronic security, and dealt in home and automotive stereo and sound equipment. After law school Charles did a stint as a Loan Officer and Real Estate Owned Portfolio Manager at a Savings and Loan Association in Alabama. He would continue thereafter for several years to work in the Electronic Security Industry as he had done for his father in the past. The last several years of working in the Security Industry were spent with the Federal Systems Division of ADT Security Services. ADT is most widely known for it's residential business, but has a large commercial business, part of which is with the Federal Government. At the Federal Systems Division Charles dealt only with military bases and federal agencies in North and South Carolina, Georgia, and North Florida. A tremendous amount of his work was in working with government contracting officers at various agencies and bases and making sure that all the relevant Federal Acquisition Regulations were complied with.
 
Charles was a Public Defender in St. Lucie County, the 19th Judicial Circuit of Florida, for two years. He began in misdemeanor court, just like all who are new PD's, handling Battery and Driving on Suspended License Cases. By the time he left he was handling Felony Cocaine Trafficking Cases, Prison Release Reoffenders, and Violent Career Criminal Cases. He handled more than two thousand cases before he left the office. Countless depositions and motions to suppress were part of a very busy and fertile environment for experience. Charles says the most rewarding part of the job was the twenty five jury trials he had. He says there is nothing quite as exciting, demanding, and sometimes absolutely necessary as a jury trial.
 
Then came the State Attorney's Office in Duval County, the 4th Judicial Circuit of Florida, for eighteen months. Charles says he considered "being on the other side of the table as a prosecutor" to be cross training. He believes the most effective Criminal Defense Attorney can see a case from both sides and he greatly values the time he spent in both defense and prosecution. As a state prosecutor he filed on more than five hundred cases and had countless depositions and motions to suppress. He had five jury trials that went from jury selection to verdict, and still thinks this is the most rewarding part of Criminal Law.

 

We are pleased to say that now Charles is part of The Law Office of Maggie Jo Hilliard. His focus is Criminal Defense, DUI, and Traffic Violations.
He will also be handling some Family Law, Contract Law, and Business Law.