Chuck started his lawyer life in the Army, as a member of the Judge Advocate General’s Corps, assigned to the 4th Infantry Division. He learned early the value of getting the facts right. His cases included murder, espionage and the usual type of criminal charges brought against soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines. He began practicing law in Idaho in 1985. His practice has always included criminal defense in state and federal courts; here, and across the Northwest.

For over forty years as a trial lawyer, he has focused on providing the best defense possible to clients facing criminal charges and trying the best possible case for clients in civil actions. His criminal defense experience includes almost every type of offense, including DUI, theft, domestic violence, fraud, manslaughter, murder, drug offenses, and “white collar” state and federal cases charging securities fraud, insurance fraud, antitrust violations, mortgage fraud and racketeering.

Now with the Bartlett Law Firm, he joins its lawyers and staff in providing the best defense available in any criminal matter. His goal is to bring a sense of reason to every situation and search for the real story. Every case is a story; jurors and judges want to know what happened, and why. The story matters, and the story is your defense.

Chuck Peterson has become one of the lawyers people in trouble call first. If the State or the United States charges you with a crime, the deck is stacked against you before you ever step into the courthouse. Criminal charges are always a matter of life and liberty. You need a lawyer to stand in the gap between you and the prosecutors.

Chuck has tried hundreds of cases, big and small. He joined Gerry Spence and tried the Ruby Ridge case, winning an acquittal for Randy Weaver, and ultimately, a $3.1 million dollar settlement from the United States in the civil rights case that followed. Working with David Nevin and Scott McKay, he joined in the defense of Sammy Al Hussain, a University of Idaho student accused of providing material support to terrorists. The jury said, “Not Guilty.”  With Eddie Moriarity, Chuck represented an insurance executive charged with racketeering, including over 150 “predicate acts.” After a ten week jury trial, their client walked. Not guilty. There was that logging truck case, where a dispute over a thousand bucks boiled over into an ambush and a murder charge. At trial in Boise County, a jury heard the defendant’s story and found said, “not guilty.” He had acted in self defense as the man he shot climbed on his eighteen-wheeler with a chain, looking to collect money he believed he was owed.

And in civil cases (which are almost never civil) Chuck represented the family of Idaho rancher Jack Yantis, who was wrongly gunned down by deputies; case settled for a reported seven figure amount. Dan Fleck from the Spence firm was there with Chuck as they investigated the case and fought for Jack’s family. He has represented clients in personal injury and wrongful death cases, many times with Gerry Spence’s Law Firm. Those cases include ski area deaths, civil rights violations, automobile and truck collision cases. One of those cases in Idaho involved the surviving father of a man killed by an explosion at a cabin at a Central Idaho resort. Settled.

Chuck has recently been honored as a Fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers. For over thirty-five years, he has been rated by Martindale Hubbel as an AV Preeminent Attorney. He has been chosen by Super Lawyers for his criminal defense work. Best Lawyers has identified Chuck for as a top lawyer in criminal defense, and this year, Criminal Defense Lawyer of the Year in White Collar Criminal Defense. Best Lawyers also includes Chuck as the lawyer you choose for “Bet the Company Litigation.” That category covers the occasions when governmental investigation and litigation threatens the very existence of your business.

Chuck is a graduate of Gonzaga University School of Law, magna cum laude, the United States Army JAG School (98^th Basic Class), and Gerry Spence’s Trial School (2008).