Nannette Baker at a glance
- Current role
- Magistrate
- Current assignment
- District Court, E.D. Missouri
- Jurisdiction
- Missouri · State
- Judicial service
- Active
Nannette Baker
Magistrate · U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri
Biography
Professional career
- Nannette A. Baker was a United States Magistrate Judge for the Eastern District of Missouri from 2011 until her retirement on February 3, 2023
- Federal service: Appointed as U.S. Magistrate Judge in 2011; held the role of Chief Magistrate Judge for the District (2016–2021)
- Also the Chief Judge of the Court of Appeals in 2008 and 2009
- State court service: Circuit Court Judge in the City of St. Louis (1999–2004); first African American woman to serve as Chief Judge of the Missouri Court of Appeals (2008–2009)
- Judge, Missouri Court of Appeals, 2005-2007
- Legal roles: Law clerk to U.S. District Judge Odell Horton (W.D. Tenn.); private practice in St. Louis
- Career Baker worked as a law clerk to Judge Odell Horton of the United States District Court for the Western District of Tennessee before becoming a private practice lawyer.
Education
- St. Louis University School of Law — J.D. (1994)
- The University of Tennessee-Knoxville — B.A. (1978)
- University of Tennessee-Knoxville — B.S.
Additional information
- Magistrate, District Court, E.D. Missouri, 2010-present
- Retirement: Resigned February 3, 2023; succeeded by Judge Rodney H. Holmes
- She was appointed to that position in 2004 and retained in 2006.
- Practitioner, 2004-2004
- Date of birth: 1953-10-03
- Besides her legal career, she worked as a television reporter and anchor
- She has also worked as the chair of the St. Louis Board of Election Commissioners.
- Prior to her appointment to the federal court, Baker was a judge of the Eastern District of the Missouri Court of Appeals.
- Birth place: Tuscaloosa, AL
Applicable Court Rules & Procedures
Media Equipment Advance Approval
Statewide
Missouri Court Operating Rule 16 requires advance approval for media equipment used for courtroom coverage and allows the judge to control the number and setup of media personnel and equipment.
Failure to obtain advance approval for equipment may preclude its use in the proceeding.Missouri Court Operating Rule 16.04, Technical ↗
Device Use In Courtroom
Statewide
Missouri courtroom device use for media coverage is not generally permitted unless authorized by the operating rule, a local court rule, or the judge presiding in the proceeding.
No person may use any device capable of media coverage in a courtroom or court clerk's office unless specifically authorizedMissouri Court Operating Rule 16.04, Technical ↗
Remote appearances
Statewide
Missouri allows limited video and audio recording for media coverage under COR 16 technical limits, subject to judicial approval and courtroom controls.
Not more than one videographer, using a single device, shall be permitted in the courtroom during a judicial proceeding at any time.Missouri Court Operating Rule 16.04, Technical ↗
Published courtroom rules
Shared court rules
Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, December 1, 2025
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri
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 ↗ · Collected 2026-10-27Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, December 1, 2025
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri
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 ↗ · Collected 2026-10-27Sources
Identity source checked June 30, 2026.
Biography sources checked August 2, 2026.
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri current judicial profile
Identity source · HTML · Source checked August 2, 2026
View U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri current judicial profile ↗Missouri Court Operating Rule 16.04, Technical
Statewide source · HTML · Source checked July 26, 2026
View Missouri Court Operating Rule 16.04, Technical ↗