Mr. Damon Chetson
Multiple criminal trial victories, Board Certified Specialist in Criminal Law
When Damon Chetson ran for District Attorney in Wake County in 2022, and secured nearly 42 percent of the vote against a powerful incumbent, he did so because he doesn't back down from tough fights. And because he believes in the promise of the Criminal Justice system and its commitment that all people are innocent until proven guilty.
In more that a decade in practice, Damon has defended clients in some of North Carolina's most serious and most notable cases. In 2019, he secured the only win in the federal government's largest prosecution in American History.
That same year, he and co-counsel beat back the death penalty in a triple homicide in Wake Forest, North Carolina. He and another lawyer secured a hung jury in December of 2019 in a murder trial in Raleigh.
And in 2021, Damon won a complete acquittal in a first degree murder case in Smithfield.
In addition to his trial work, Mr. Chetson has been able to work out exceptional pleas, deferred prosecution agreements, and dismissal of charges in hundreds of other cases in more than a decade of practice.
He is one of fewer than 100 Board Certified Specialists in State and Federal Criminal Law in the entire state of North Carolina.
He lives with his wife in Raleigh, and is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania (1994) and the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill (2009, JD).
- Criminal Law
- Criminal Appeals, Drug Crimes, Expungement, Fraud, Gun Crimes, Internet Crimes, Sex Crimes, Theft, Violent Crimes
- White Collar Crime
- Domestic Violence
- Domestic Violence Criminal Defense, Domestic Violence Restraining Orders
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- North Carolina
- North Carolina State Bar
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- 4th Circuit
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- English: Spoken, Written
- German: Spoken, Written
- Attorney
- The Chetson Firm, PLLC
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- With more than 25 trials, Mr. Chetson in 2019 alone won victories in three homicide-related trials - including the largest federal RICO prosecution in U.S. history.
- University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill
- J.D. (2009) | Law
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- University of Virginia
- M.A. (1996) | History (European)
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- Honors: Smith Richardson Fellow. Received MA in History in 1996. Teaching Assistant in Western Civilization core curriculum class in 1996-1997.
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- University of Pennsylvania
- B.A. (1994)
- Honors: Graduated with honors
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- Lead Chair Roster
- Office of the Capital Defender
- Selected to represent clients charged with capital (death penalty) murder in North Carolina state courts.
- Criminal Justice Act Panel
- Eastern District North Carolina
- Serve on a panel of attorneys approved by the Court to represent indigent clients charged with federal crimes from 2014 to present.
- Super Lawyer
- Super Lawyers
- Since 2020
- Rising Star
- Super Lawyers
- Selected To Rising Stars: 2015 - 2019
- 10.0 Rating
- Justia Inc
- National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
- Member
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- North Carolina Advocates for Justice
- Member
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- North Carolina Bar Association
- Member
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- Perfect 10 and Contributory Liability: Can Search Engines Survive?
- North Carolina Journal of Law and Technology
- Criminal Law: Social Media and Ethics, Criminal Continuing Legal Education Seminar, Greensboro, NC
- North Carolina Advocates for Justice
- Board Certified Specialist in State and Federal Criminal Law
- North Carolina State Bar
- Website
- The Chetson Firm Website
- Blog
- The Chetson Firm Blog
- RICOing Trump: A Conspiracy of Many
August 15, 2023 - The Future of Federal Gun Laws
June 21, 2023 - Private Lawyer Committing Malpractice
April 6, 2023
What if an encounter with the police didn't leave you with DUI conviction?
- Q. What does case number 21ucs846
- A: 21 U.S.C. Sec. 846 the section of the United States Code (U.S.C. or federal law) that defines a drug conspiracy and the penalties associated with a drug conspiracy. It says: "Any person who attempts or conspires to commit any offense defined in this subchapter shall be subject to the same penalties as those prescribed for the offense, the commission of which was the object of the attempt or conspiracy."
That is not a case number, but refers to the United States Code
- Q. NC Resident : Will I go to jail for having possession of an empty grinder? Officer said it was a ticket
- A: Unlikely. Possession of Marijuana Paraphernalia in North Carolina is a class 3 misdemeanor which is punishable by court costs and a fine for most people. People who have very significant misdemeanor (5 or more prior convictions) criminal records are eligible for active sentences of up to 20 days in jail, but I have never seen anyone sent to jail solely for a conviction of misdemeanor possession of marijuana paraphernalia.
- Q. Is my criminal history supposed to be in my motion
- A: You seem to be referencing your "discovery." Discovery is the material provided to you (through your lawyer) by the prosecutor's office in the state or federal system. The Motion for Discovery is the method by which the lawyer requests that discovery be provided. People often refer to their discovery as their "motion."
Your criminal history should be included in your discovery, particularly in North Carolina state court which has what is called "open file discovery." In federal court, the criminal history is often provided by may not be required in all cases because criminal history is not exculpatory and federal discovery law generally requires the disclosure ... Read More
