Hello, I am Doretta Walker and have the honor of serving as one of your District Court Judges in Durham County.  Since being elected in 2010 and re-elected in 2014 and 2018, I have presided over cases in family court, child support court, civil court, juvenile court, traffic court, domestic violence court, criminal court, Abuse, Neglect and Dependency Court, involuntary commitments and jail first appearances.  I also have served as presiding judge over the former juvenile drug treatment court.   I am presently the presiding judge over the Durham Mental Health Court.   

I am a Durham native -- a product of the Durham Public Schools, and a proud graduate of Northern High School.  After high school, I attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where I completed a Bachelor of Science degree in the Administration of Criminal Justice and Psychology in 1990, and also received a Juris Doctor degree in 1993 from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Law.

Since completing my education at UNC-Chapel Hill, I have been dedicated to the idea of public service.  In 1994, I took a position with Carolina Legal Assistance where I helped draft pleadings in the Thomas S. class action lawsuit on a contract basis.  I also served for three years as a Judicial Clerk at the North Carolina Court of Appeals. In this capacity, I provided legal research and writing for Judge James A. Wynn (now an appellate judge on the United States 4th Circuit Court of Appeals), the late Judge Clifton E. Johnson, and Justice Patricia Timmons-Goodson (the first African-American female to serve on the North Carolina Supreme Court).

In 1997, I was selected as an Assistant District Attorney in the Durham County District Attorney’s Office. While working in the District Attorney’s office, I served as supervisor of the Property and Fraud Team and was able to spearhead an increased emphasis on aggressively prosecuting elder abuse, identity theft, property and fraud cases.  While in my position in the District Attorney’s office, I recognized the need for making community outreach and involvement in the community a personal choice and priority.  I have a great affinity for youth and the challenges they face in today’s society. As such, I have been intentional about providing support and mentoring to youth in various ways as they progress towards adulthood.  I worked with Partners for Youth (formerly Partners for Youth Opportunity now Children's Youth Initiative) for over a decade since the program’s inception where I provide mentoring and guidance to youth about activities, education, and social skills.  I was also a member of SALT (Seniors and Law Enforcement Together) where I provided education to seniors on various issues in order to lessen the chances of our seniors being victimized. 

Additionally, I served as an adjunct instructor at Durham Technical Community College in the Criminal Justice Program teaching Court Procedure and Evidence, Introduction to Criminal Justice, Constitutional Law and Ethics from 2002 - 2016. In addition, I served on several boards, including but not limited to the George H. White Bar Association as Treasurer, the Fourteenth Judicial Bar and Durham County Bar Association as Board Member, and as First Vice President, and as a Board Member of the Triangle Champions Track Team and Durham Raiders.   

I am also a member of the National Sorority of Phi Delta Kappa, Incorporated.   The National Sorority of Phi Delta Kappa, Inc. (NSPDK, Inc.) is a professional organization of educators founded in 1923. Its purpose is to stimulate professional growth among teachers, foster true sisterhood, and promote the highest ideals of the teaching profession. The sorority focuses on the areas of youth, education and service.  I am involved in and often chair programs and activities designed to promote educational programs for children and adults.  I am also a member of the District Court Education Committee of the NC Association of District Court Judges.  Additionally, I am a juvenile certified District Court Judge by the North Carolina Administrative Office of the Courts and as such I am qualified by training and temperament to be effective in relating to youth and in the use of appropriate community resources to meet the needs of our youth.

I continue to mentor youth and young adults in the Durham community by always being there for whatever support they may need whether it is social, educational or career guidance.  I also have numerous interns (college and law students) throughout the year and during the summer at the Durham County Courthouse.  Additionally, I allow elementary, high school, college and graduate students shadow me as I go about my daily duties so that they are able to have a better understanding of the judicial system and its intricacies.  I have many nieces, nephews, and godchildren whom I love and take great pleasure in nurturing and providing guidance so that they become the best that they can.  Family and my community mean everything to me.