About Cheryl

Even before law school, Cheryl’s life experiences prepared her to be a public servant, shaping her understanding of courage and the need to have someone in your corner. They gave her the empathy to treat every person with respect and the perspective to listen to every voice that comes before the court. Throughout the years, she has been able to use her experiences as tools to help others. 

After graduating from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro with honors - summa cum laude and phi beta kappa, Cheryl attended Wake Forest University School of Law, where her passion for the courtroom was ignited. She found a way to use the strength and understanding that she had gathered from her life to be the voice for others in their most difficult times.

Cheryl began her legal career in public service with the Forsyth County Public Defender’s Office. She calls her time there as trial lawyer “boot camp” where she learned to manage heavy caseloads and make decisions under pressure. Those years strengthened her resilience and compassion, and gave her a deep understanding of the challenges within our justice system. 

After nearly 4 years with the public defender’s office, Cheryl joined the Holton Law Firm, with former U.S. Attorney Walter C. Holton, Jr. and Lynne Holton.  Her practice expanded beyond criminal cases to civil litigation in state and federal courts throughout North Carolina and other states.  Cheryl handled business disputes, domestic cases, personal injury, wrongful death, estate disputes, federal qui tam actions and all variety of criminal cases.  She also handled appeals in North Carolina as well as argued before the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals.

As her legal career progressed, Cheryl also continued to grow and learn through life experiences. She learned what it feels like to walk into a courtroom as a party to a case and she knows that to all appearing before the court, their case is the most important thing in their life at that moment.  Cheryl knows that all who come before the court deserve to be heard, respected, and treated with dignity. 

A judge should bring wisdom, fairness, and real-world understanding of the law to the bench and that’s exactly what 20 years of legal experience represents.

In her two decades in the courtroom, Cheryl has seen the law work at its best and its worst. She understands not just what the law says, but how it affects real people—families, victims, defendants, and communities.  Her depth of experience leads her to render decisions that are thoughtful, balanced, and grounded in justice and humanity. 

Over 20 years, Cheryl Andrews McDonald has:

• Interpreted and applied the law in hundreds of real cases for people seeking justice 
• Earned professional respect through ethical practice and sound judgment
• Developed the patience, temperament, and discipline needed to listen carefully and rule fairly
• Learned to manage complex cases efficiently while protecting due process

Judge McDonald’s experience matters because over the last 20 years she has gained the knowledge, temperament, and integrity necessary to serve Forsyth County faithfully as your District Court Judge. 

Experience matters in the courtroom.

Judgment matters on the bench.

After 20 years of legal service,  Judge McDonald brings both.