PAUL STARITA
MY EXPERIENCE
Trial Experience
Since 2004, I have served San Diego County as an Assistant United States Attorney. For about 10 years, I served in the Criminal Division as a federal prosecutor investigating and prosecuting over 500 felony criminal cases involving drug trafficking and organized crime, human smuggling, money laundering, public corruption, and violent crime. For the last 6 years, I have served in the Civil Division. As a civil trial attorney, I prosecute civil fraud cases impacting Medicare and Tricare as well as government procurement and contracting. Also, I defend the United States in a wide variety of cases involving negligence, employment, and constitutional torts. As a Marine prosecutor and defense counsel, I prosecuted and defended service members in a wide variety of military criminal justice cases involving offenses like aggravated assault, drug distribution, larceny, murder, and sexual assault. For the last four years, I have served as an adjunct faculty member at the University of San Diego School of Law where I teach first-year law students trial advocacy. Over the course of my career, I have tried more than 50 cases to verdict.
Judicial Experience
For four years, I served as a Military Judge presiding over military criminal justice cases. I presided over jury and bench trials, motion hearings, and guilty plea and sentencing hearings. For two of those four years, I served as the Senior Trial Judge for the Marine Reserve Trial Judiciary where I supervised 7-9 Reserve Military Judges who presided over cases throughout the United States and Japan. I was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal for my service as a Military Judge. For more than 25 years, I have intermittently served as a Preliminary Hearing Officer in over 50 military criminal justice cases. As a Preliminary Hearing Officer, I heard testimony, reviewed evidence, ruled on evidentiary objections, and made probable cause determinations. In June 2020, I began my final tour in the Marine Corps Reserve as an Appellate Judge with the Navy-Marine Corps Court of Criminal Appeals.
Military Experience
For almost 30 years, I have served in the United States Marine Corps on active duty and in the Reserve. I am proud to have attained the rank of Colonel and served in numerous leadership assignments including Reserve Officer In Charge of Legal Services Support Section – West, branch head Marine Reserve prosecutors, Reserve Staff Judge Advocate for I Marine Expeditionary Force, and Senior Trial Judge for the Marine Reserve Trial Judiciary. During the war on terror, I was mobilized to active duty twice. First, I served as a Marine defense counsel defending Marines accused of “war crimes” stemming from combat operations in Iraq. A few years later I served on the legal staff at United States Africa Command. Throughout my career, I advised Marine commanders and senior government officials on a wide range of legal issues including the stewardship of our County’s precious natural resources. The Judge Advocates Association has recognized me with a career achievement award for my distinguished service as a Marine Judge Advocate. My military service allows me to bring a global perspective to serving our local community.
Since 2004, I have served San Diego County as an Assistant United States Attorney. For about 10 years, I served in the Criminal Division as a federal prosecutor investigating and prosecuting over 500 felony criminal cases involving drug trafficking and organized crime, human smuggling, money laundering, public corruption, and violent crime. For the last 6 years, I have served in the Civil Division. As a civil trial attorney, I prosecute civil fraud cases impacting Medicare and Tricare as well as government procurement and contracting. Also, I defend the United States in a wide variety of cases involving negligence, employment, and constitutional torts. As a Marine prosecutor and defense counsel, I prosecuted and defended service members in a wide variety of military criminal justice cases involving offenses like aggravated assault, drug distribution, larceny, murder, and sexual assault. For the last four years, I have served as an adjunct faculty member at the University of San Diego School of Law where I teach first-year law students trial advocacy. Over the course of my career, I have tried more than 50 cases to verdict.
Judicial Experience
For four years, I served as a Military Judge presiding over military criminal justice cases. I presided over jury and bench trials, motion hearings, and guilty plea and sentencing hearings. For two of those four years, I served as the Senior Trial Judge for the Marine Reserve Trial Judiciary where I supervised 7-9 Reserve Military Judges who presided over cases throughout the United States and Japan. I was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal for my service as a Military Judge. For more than 25 years, I have intermittently served as a Preliminary Hearing Officer in over 50 military criminal justice cases. As a Preliminary Hearing Officer, I heard testimony, reviewed evidence, ruled on evidentiary objections, and made probable cause determinations. In June 2020, I began my final tour in the Marine Corps Reserve as an Appellate Judge with the Navy-Marine Corps Court of Criminal Appeals.
Military Experience
For almost 30 years, I have served in the United States Marine Corps on active duty and in the Reserve. I am proud to have attained the rank of Colonel and served in numerous leadership assignments including Reserve Officer In Charge of Legal Services Support Section – West, branch head Marine Reserve prosecutors, Reserve Staff Judge Advocate for I Marine Expeditionary Force, and Senior Trial Judge for the Marine Reserve Trial Judiciary. During the war on terror, I was mobilized to active duty twice. First, I served as a Marine defense counsel defending Marines accused of “war crimes” stemming from combat operations in Iraq. A few years later I served on the legal staff at United States Africa Command. Throughout my career, I advised Marine commanders and senior government officials on a wide range of legal issues including the stewardship of our County’s precious natural resources. The Judge Advocates Association has recognized me with a career achievement award for my distinguished service as a Marine Judge Advocate. My military service allows me to bring a global perspective to serving our local community.
