about
David J. Damico
With almost forty-five years of experience providing high quality representation in and out of the courtroom, David J. Damico is one of the premier trial attorneys representing people in Virginia State and Federal courts in the Greater Roanoke Valley. He regularly appears in Circuit Court, General District Court, Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court, and the US District Court for the Western District of Virginia. He is a top quality choice for people facing a trial in matters involving criminal defense, child custody, protective orders, or other litigation.
Mr. Damico has practiced in Roanoke since 1977. He opened his own office in 1980 after two and a half years with the Roanoke City Public Defenders Office. He has handled a variety of criminal cases and trials in the State and Federal Courts including six death penalty cases, murder trials, drug defense, child pornography, rape and other sex offenses, burglary, larceny, DUI, and traffic. He has successfully represented clients in two Federal Racketeering (RICO) cases, where both clients were acquitted after 6 week trials and he has been involved in numerous high profile criminal cases in recent years.
Mr. Damico attended the University of Virginia as an undergraduate and graduated from UVa School of Law in 1976. He has lived in the Roanoke area since 1977. He is married to the former Vickie Graves and they have three adult daughters. He is an avid hunter and fisherman, a 2nd degree black belt in judo and a purple belt in Brazilian Jui Jitsu.
What it's like to work with me
"I have a straight forward approach to dealings with clients, prosecutors, and police in criminal cases and with opposing counsel in civil cases. I try to treat people the way I would want to be treated. Because I’ve had a very active court room practice for 40 years, I have personal relationships and experience with most of the prosecutors and lawyers in the Roanoke area. They know I am direct, prepared, and not easily intimidated. They know I can and will go to trial if necessary and often that gives me an advantage in negotiations.
Another advantage comes from thorough case preparation. I make it a matter of course to quickly access and review police reports, body cams, dash cams, 911 tapes, and all independent sources of evidence, not just rely on what the prosecutor tells me about a case.
I have seen and tried most kinds of cases within my area of expertise, so I would not be “reinventing the wheel” in your case. I have learned over the years that the best way to provide quality representation is to avoid trying to do a volume business. I am selective in the cases I accept and I make sure I have the time necessary to devote to each of them to get the best possible result."