Chief Justice Paul Newby has appointed Wake County District Court Judge Margaret Eagles to serve as chief district court judge for Wake County effective February 1, 2024. Judge Eagles will fill the vacancy left by Chief District Court Judge Ned Mangum who will retire at that time.

"I am confident that Judge Eagles will continue to serve her community well in her new administrative capacity in Wake County," said Chief Justice Newby. 

Judge Eagles has served as a district court Judge since 2009. She has served in the Abuse, Neglect and Dependency Courtroom for two years, addressing allegations of children being abused or neglected. During that time, she earned her Judicial Juvenile Certification. She has presided in both the criminal and civil domestic violence courtrooms since 2011 and is currently the lead domestic violence judge in Wake County.

Upon graduation from Campbell Law, she began her legal career as a judicial clerk for Justice George Wainwright at the Supreme Court of North Carolina. After her clerkship, Judge Eagles worked in the North Carolina Department of Justice as an assistant attorney general. In 2005, Judge Eagles joined Larcade & Heiskell, PLLC where she primarily focused on civil litigation. In 2009, she was appointed as a Wake County district court judge by former North Carolina Governor Bev Perdue. Judge Eagles was subsequently elected in 2010 and re-elected in 2014 and again in 2018.