The Hon. Doretta L. Walker is a judge for the Durham County District Court in the 14th Judicial District of North Carolina. She was elected to the bench in 2010 and re-elected in 2014, 2018, and 2022.
Over the course of her judicial career, Walker has presided over the Abuse, Neglect & Dependency Court and the Mental Health Court.
Walker earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology and criminal justice from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1990. She then completed a J.D. at the University of North Carolina School of Law in 1993.
After graduating from law school, Walker began her legal career as a judicial law clerk to the Hon. James A. Wynn, the Hon. Clifton E. Johnson, and the Hon. Patricia Timmons-Goodson of the North Carolina Court of Appeals. She served in that capacity until 1997, at which time she became an assistant district attorney with the Durham County District Attorney’s Office. During her tenure there, she held assignments as the supervisor of the property and fraud team. She also handled the prosecution of complex financial crimes.
Her memberships have included the George H. White Bar Association, the Durham County Bar Association, and the National Council of Negro Women. She has also been involved with the boards of the Triangle Champions Track Team and Durham Raiders.
Born and raised in Durham, North Carolina, Walker attended Northern High School.
She is registered as a Democrat.