Dr. Fred Knowles

• Investigation and Research Consultant

Dr. Fred E. Knowles has been the Investigative and Research Consultant for the Bajalia Law Firm, P.C. since 2005. Fred is also a tenured professor at Valdosta State University, teaching sociology, Native American studies and criminal justice; an adjunct professor at the University of Tulsa – College of Law in the Indian Jurisprudence Program; an adjunct professor at Mitchell Hamline School of Law; a member of the Tribal Bar of the Pascua Yaqui Nation; and the Chair of the Native American and Indigenous Studies Program at Valdosta State University.

Fred obtained his Associates Decree in Pre-Law from Hillsborough Community College in 1977; his Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science from Valdosta State University in 1984; his Masters in Education from National Louis University in 1993; his Ph.D in Sociology and Philosophy of Education from the University of Missouri-Columbia in 2004; his Master of Jurisprudence in Indian Law from the University of Tulsa – School of Law in 2013; and, his Juris Doctorate from Mitchell Hamline School of Law in 2016.

Prior to becoming a professor and investigator, Fred also served as a Deputy Sheriff, and later a Deputy Sheriff-Lieutenant, for the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office in Tampa, Florida, and also served four (4) years in the United States Air Force in the law enforcement field.

Fred has authored several publications between 2009 and the present; has been a presenter at numerous speaking engagements; and is an active volunteer in several community service programs.
In his spare time, Fred enjoys playing music and reading.