--- title: "Christopher D. Baker | KnowJudges" canonical: "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/christopher-d-baker-california-us-magistrate" page_type: "judge_profile" updated: "2026-10-08" --- # Christopher D. Baker U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California · U.S. Magistrate Judge ## Profile - Court: U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California - State: California - Role: U.S. Magistrate Judge - Service status: active - Last verified: 2026-07-29 ## Summary Official statewide and applicable court procedural guidance applies to this judge. ## Before you appear - Read the judge-specific standing order first when one is listed. - Check the docket and case orders for requirements that supersede broader guidance. - Confirm current remote-access and courtroom technology arrangements before the proceeding. ## Courtroom Rules ### civil remote testimony Scope: courtwide In federal district-court civil proceedings, testimony is ordinarily taken in open court; remote contemporaneous testimony requires good cause in compelling circumstances and appropriate safeguards. Evidence excerpt: For good cause in compelling circumstances and with appropriate safeguards, the court may permit testimony in open court by contemporaneous transmission from a different location. [Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 43(a), Testimony in Open Court](https://www.uscourts.gov/forms-rules/current-rules-practice-procedure/federal-rules-civil-procedure) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ### criminal recording and broadcasting Scope: courtwide Federal district courts may not permit courtroom photography or broadcasting during criminal judicial proceedings unless a statute or another federal rule provides an exception. Evidence excerpt: Except as otherwise provided by a statute or these rules, the court must not permit the taking of photographs in the courtroom during judicial proceedings or the broadcasting of judicial proceedings from the courtroom. [Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 53, Courtroom Photographing and Broadcasting Prohibited](https://www.uscourts.gov/court-records/access-court-proceedings/remote-public-access-proceedings/history-cameras-broadcasting-and-remote-public-access-courts) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ## Sources - [Official profile](https://www.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/document/cjra_na_0331.2026.pdf#page=91) - [Official roster](https://www.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/document/cjra_na_0331.2026.pdf#page=91) - [U.S. Courts judicial profile or roster](https://www.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/document/cjra_na_0331.2026.pdf#page=91) - [Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 43(a), Testimony in Open Court](https://www.uscourts.gov/forms-rules/current-rules-practice-procedure/federal-rules-civil-procedure) - [Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 53, Courtroom Photographing and Broadcasting Prohibited](https://www.uscourts.gov/court-records/access-court-proceedings/remote-public-access-proceedings/history-cameras-broadcasting-and-remote-public-access-courts) ## JSON-LD ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/christopher-d-baker-california-us-magistrate", "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/christopher-d-baker-california-us-magistrate", "name": "Christopher D. 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Baker", "item": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/christopher-d-baker-california-us-magistrate" } ] } ] } ``` ## Analytics The published one-year federal docket dataset through 2026-06-30 records 178 cases assigned to this judge and 8 terminated cases. - Source: https://www.courtlistener.com/ ## Federal civil docket activity Dataset updated through 2026-06-30. | Period | Assigned cases | Terminated cases | Median disposition (months) | Median sample | | --- | ---: | ---: | ---: | ---: | | 1y | 178 | 8 | Not available | 8 | | 2y | 260 | 38 | 1 | 38 | | 5y | 486 | 183 | 6.4 | 183 | | 10y | 554 | 244 | 9.7 | 244 | Source: https://www.courtlistener.com/recap/ ## Biography ### Professional career - Magistrate judge in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California, specifically in the Bakersfield Division - Judge Baker served seven years in the U.S. Marine Corps as an infantry officer, reflecting a strong background in leadership and discipline - He spent fourteen years with the Department of Justice, serving as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Eastern District of California (Bakersfield and Fresno offices), First Assistant U.S. Attorney in the District of Nevada, and Attorney Advisor in the National Security Division ### Education - Bachelor’s degree from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1994, a law degree from UCLA School of Law in 2004, and a Master of Science from the National Intelligence University in 2013. ### Additional information - He presides over criminal matters arising on federal lands and civil cases within the division, and he also conducts settlement conferences for all types of cases. - His courtroom follows specific individual rules and standing orders, including procedures for criminal hearings, payments, and telephonic requests for additional conditions in criminal cases. - Judge Christopher D. Baker combines extensive federal prosecutorial experience, military service, and private practice expertise. - His role as a magistrate judge in the Eastern District of California involves handling both civil and criminal matters, conducting settlement conferences, and applying his broad legal and international experience to support the federal judiciary. - Judge Baker has over eighteen years of legal experience in both public and private sectors. - His DOJ service included tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, where he assisted in international rule-of-law capacity building. - focusing on complex civil litigation, including consumer fraud, products liability, intellectual property, and contract disputes. ## Published courtroom rules ### Shared court rules - [Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, December 1, 2025](https://knowjudges.com/courtroom-rules/national-shared-set-651872d6e45e0d82319ecccc) — Civil actions in United States District Courts; Rule 81 exceptions apply. Section-specific exceptions, waivers, later amendments and case orders remain applicable. This is a source excerpt, not an exhaustive statement of the rule. [Official source](https://www.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/document/federal-rules-of-civil-procedure.pdf). Collected 2026-10-27. - [Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, December 1, 2025](https://knowjudges.com/courtroom-rules/national-shared-set-8721a344fececced2257fe1d) — Criminal proceedings in United States District Courts; this conservative mapping does not distribute appellate-specific provisions to appellate judges. Section-specific exceptions, waivers, later amendments and case orders remain applicable. This is a source excerpt, not an exhaustive statement of the rule. [Official source](https://www.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/document/federal-rules-of-criminal-procedure.pdf). Collected 2026-10-27.