Beasley to Run for Court of Appeals

Thursday, 14 February 2008 | Research and reporting by Matt Tomsic | Original News Release

Cheri Beasley has worked all sides of the courtroom. A former public defender in Cumberland County, she also worked briefly in the Wake County District Attorney's office. A Democrat, she was appointed to the District Court in Cumberland County by Gov. Jim Hunt in 1999. In 2008, she announced she would run for the N.C. Court of Appeals against incumbent Judge Doug McCullough.

Early Life and Education

Cheri Beasley was born Feb. 14, 1966. Her parents divorced when she was two years old. Her mother, Dr. Lou Beasley, and Cheri then moved to Nashville, Tenn., where she grew up. Her mother worked as a dean of graduate school at Austen Peay State University in Tennessee.

Beasley attended Whites Creek High School in Whites Creek, Tenn., outside Nashville.

After graduation Beasley attended Rutgers University, where she graduated with a bachelor of arts in economics and political science in 1988.

Beasley then attended law school at the University of Tennessee at Nashville, graduating in 1991. She graduated a semester early after spending a summer studying comparative law at Oxford University in England.

Professional Career

After graduation, Beasley moved to North Carolina and worked in the legal department for various companies in Research Triangle Park. These companies included Glaxo (now GlaxoSmithKline) and Rhone-Poulenc.

She also worked briefly in the Wake County District Attorney's office.

In 1994, Beasley moved to Cumberland County and began working in the public defenders' office as an assistant public defender.

In 1999, she was appointed to the District Court bench by Gov. Jim Hunt. She won an election for her seat in 2002, running against Michael Boose. In 2006 she won uncontested.

Court of Appeals Campaign

In January of 2008, she announced she would run for the N.C. Court of Appeals seat currently held by Judge Doug McCullough.