Charles Redding Pitt (March 29, 1944 – February 7, 2016) was an American lawyer and former chairman of the

Alabama Democratic Party The Alabama Democratic Party is the affiliate of the Democratic Party in the state of Alabama. It is chaired by Randy Kelley. The Alabama Democratic Party was once one of the most successful political organizations in the United States. Even af ...

Biography

Early life, education, and military service

Pitt was born in

Decatur, Alabama Decatur (dɪˈkeɪtə(r)) is the largest city and county seat of Morgan County (with a portion also in Limestone County) in the U.S. state of Alabama. Nicknamed "The River City", it is located in northern Alabama on the banks of Wheeler Lake ...

and graduated from Decatur High School in 1962. He attended the

University of Alabama The University of Alabama (informally known as Alabama, UA, or Bama) is a Public university, public research university in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Established in 1820 and opened to students in 1831, the University of Alabama is the oldest and la ...

and graduated with a

Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four years ...

degree in 1967. He was active in campaigning for

Robert F. Kennedy Robert Francis Kennedy (November 20, 1925June 6, 1968), also known by his initials RFK and by the nickname Bobby, was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 64th United States Attorney General from January 1961 to September 1964, a ...

in the 1968 presidential election. After graduating from college Pitt entered the officer corps of the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...

, serving from 1969 to 1972 in

Vietnam Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making i ...

, where he attained the rank of

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

and earned a

Bronze Star The Bronze Star Medal (BSM) is a United States Armed Forces decoration awarded to members of the United States Armed Forces for either heroic achievement, heroic service, meritorious achievement, or meritorious service in a combat zone. Wh ...

. Later he served in the Office of the Chief of Staff for Intelligence in

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

Following his Army service, Pitt attended

Boston College Law School Boston College Law School (BC Law) is the law school of Boston College. It is situated on a wooded campus in Newton, Massachusetts, about 1.5 miles from the university's main campus in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. With approximately 800 studen ...

and received his

Juris Doctor The Juris Doctor (J.D. or JD), also known as Doctor of Jurisprudence (J.D., JD, D.Jur., or DJur), is a graduate-entry professional degree in law and one of several Doctor of Law degrees. The J.D. is the standard degree obtained to practice law ...

in 1977, after which he returned to his home state and began his public career.

Political and legal career

Pitt served as Alabama's

Assistant Attorney General Many of the divisions and offices of the United States Department of Justice are headed by an assistant attorney general. The president of the United States appoints individuals to the position of assistant attorney general with the advice and ...

from 1981 to 1991, and Chief Deputy Attorney General from 1991 to 1994. He also served as a legal advisor to several Alabama state government officials. From 1994 to 2001 he served as United States Attorney for the Middle District of Alabama.Charles Redding Pitt, 1944 - 2016
/ref> Later in his life, Pitt practiced law in

Birmingham, Alabama Birmingham ( ) is a city in the north central region of the U.S. state of Alabama. Birmingham is the seat of Jefferson County, Alabama's most populous county. As of the 2021 census estimates, Birmingham had a population of 197,575, down 1% fr ...

. He was one of the attorneys of record for former Alabama Governor

Don Siegelman Donald Eugene Siegelman ( ; born February 24, 1946) is a former American politician, lawyer and convicted felon who was the 51st governor of Alabama from 1999 to 2003. A member of the Democratic Party, as of , Siegelman is the last Democrat, as ...

during Siegelman's federal trial in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Alabama on charges of

bribery Bribery is the Offer and acceptance, offering, Gift, giving, Offer and acceptance, receiving, or Solicitation, soliciting of any item of value to influence the actions of an official, or other person, in charge of a public or legal duty. With reg ...

mail fraud Mail fraud and wire fraud are terms used in the United States to describe the use of a physical or electronic mail system to defraud another, and are federal crimes there. Jurisdiction is claimed by the federal government if the illegal activit ...

, and

obstruction of justice Obstruction of justice, in United States jurisdictions, is an act that involves unduly influencing, impeding, or otherwise interfering with the justice system, especially the legal and procedural tasks of prosecutors, investigators, or other gov ...

.Redding Pitt Mourned by Alabama Democrats
/ref> He also continued to serve campaigns for Democratic candidates, including his Boston College classmate

John Kerry John Forbes Kerry (born December 11, 1943) is an American attorney, politician and diplomat who currently serves as the first United States special presidential envoy for climate. A member of the Forbes family and the Democratic Party (Unite ...

2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 6 ...

. From 2001 to 2005 he served as chair of the

Personal life and death

Pitt had one son,

William Rivers Pitt William Rivers Pitt (November 9, 1971 – September 26, 2022) was an American author, editor, and liberal political activist. Background William Rivers Pitt was born in Washington, D.C.; his father, Charles Redding Pitt, became chair of the A ...

, by his first wife, Jane H. Pitt. He was related to the 18th-century

British Prime Minister The prime minister of the United Kingdom is the head of government of the United Kingdom. The prime minister advises the sovereign on the exercise of much of the royal prerogative, chairs the Cabinet and selects its ministers. As modern p ...

William Pitt. He died on February 7, 2016, at the age of 71.Redding Pitt, former head of Alabama Democratic Party, has died
/ref>

References

External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Pitt, Charles Redding 1944 births 2016 deaths Alabama lawyers Boston College Law School alumni Lawyers from Birmingham, Alabama Politicians from Decatur, Alabama Military personnel from Alabama 20th-century American lawyers 21st-century American lawyers 20th-century American politicians 21st-century American politicians Alabama Democratic Party chairs University of Alabama alumni United States Attorneys for the Middle District of Alabama United States Army personnel of the Vietnam War United States Army officers