--- title: "Nannette Baker | KnowJudges" canonical: "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/nannette-baker-7686" page_type: "judge_profile" updated: "2026-08-02" --- # Nannette Baker U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri · Magistrate ## Profile - Court: U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri - State: Missouri - Role: Magistrate - Service status: active - Last verified: 2026-06-30 ## Summary Official statewide and applicable court procedural guidance applies to this judge. ## 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 ## 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 ### media equipment advance approval Scope: 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. Evidence excerpt: Failure to obtain advance approval for equipment may preclude its use in the proceeding. [Missouri Court Operating Rule 16.04, Technical](https://www.courts.mo.gov/page.jsp?id=354) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ### device use in courtroom Scope: 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. Evidence excerpt: No person may use any device capable of media coverage in a courtroom or court clerk's office unless specifically authorized [Missouri Court Operating Rule 16.04, Technical](https://www.courts.mo.gov/page.jsp?id=354) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ### audio video recording Scope: statewide Missouri allows limited video and audio recording for media coverage under COR 16 technical limits, subject to judicial approval and courtroom controls. Evidence excerpt: 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](https://www.courts.mo.gov/page.jsp?id=354) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ## Sources - [Official profile](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/7686/nannette-baker/) - [Official roster](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/7686/nannette-baker/) - [U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri current judicial profile](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/7686/nannette-baker/) - [Missouri Court Operating Rule 16.04, Technical](https://www.courts.mo.gov/page.jsp?id=354) - [CourtListener judicial biographical directory](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/7686/nannette-baker/) - [Nannette Baker - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Nannette_Baker) - [Nannette A. Baker Missouri Opinions](https://ott.law/missouri-courts/judges/nannetteabaker) ## JSON-LD ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/nannette-baker-7686", "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/nannette-baker-7686", "name": "Nannette Baker | KnowJudges", "description": "Nannette Baker, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri. 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[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.