The Hon. Philip Trompeter (Ret.) was a judge for the 23rd Judicial District Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court of Virginia. He joined the bench in 1985. Trompeter retired on April 15, 2015.
The 23rd Judicial District includes the Cities of Roanoke and Salem and Roanoke County.
Prior to joining the bench, he was appointed to serve as a special justice, tasked with presiding over psychiatric commitment hearings, and he also served as vice president of the Mental Health Association of Roanoke Valley.
Trompeter received a bachelor’s degree from New York University. He then completed a J.D. at the University of Richmond School of Law. Trompeter was admitted to practice in Virginia in 1977.
He is credited with founding Family Touch, a support group for families affected by mental illness, and the Roanoke Valley chapter of CASA.
Trompeter received the National Mental Health Association’s inaugural Remember the Children Award and the Harry L. Carrico Outstanding Career Service Award from the Judicial Council of Virginia (2012).
The youngest of three children, he was born in Roanoke, Virginia, where his father and mother operated a bakery in the local farmer’s market. Trompeter and his wife, Sarina, have two grown children. When not presiding over legal matters, he was an instructor of BodyJam aerobics. Trompeter also enjoys cooking.