Mr. Gardner was born in Washington, D.C., and was educated in the public schools of Montgomery County, Maryland. Following graduation from Springbrook High School in 1971, Mr. Gardner attended Wake Forest University. He graduated from Wake Forest in 1975 with a cum laude distinction. He enrolled at the Cumberland School of Law, Samford University, and graduated therefrom in 1979.
From 1980 to 1989, Mr. Gardner served as an assistant district attorney for Madison County, Alabama. While in this position, Mr. Gardner prosecuted all types of cases, from misdemeanors to numerous capital murders. From 1985 to 1986, Mr. Gardner served on the staff of the National District Attorney's Association and the American Prosecutors Research Institute in Alexandria, Virginia. During this time, he was a contributing author and editor of a trial manual for prosecutors entitled ?The Investigation and Prosecution of Child Abuse?.
In 1989, Mr. Gardner entered the private practice of law. From 1989 to present, Mr. Gardner has specialized in the area of criminal defense. He maintains an active criminal defense practice in all the courts of the State of Alabama. He also maintains a significant caseload of federal criminal cases in the United States District Courts and the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals.
Mr. Gardner is recognized as a leader in Alabama on matters related to criminal defense. He has served with distinction on the board of the Alabama Criminal Defense Lawyers Association since 1996, and served as President of that Association in 2003-2004.