--- title: "Ronnie Lee White | KnowJudges" canonical: "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/ronnie-lee-white-3453" page_type: "judge_profile" updated: "2026-10-09" --- # Ronnie Lee White U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri · Judge ## Profile - Court: U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri - State: Missouri - Role: Judge - Service status: former - Last verified: 2026-06-30 ## Summary Official statewide and applicable court procedural guidance applies to this judge. ## Biography ### Professional career - Judge, District Court, E.D. Missouri, 2014-present - Retired American judge who held the role of a United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Missouri from 2014 to 2024, and earlier as a judge on the Supreme Court of Missouri - Judge, Supreme Court of Missouri, 1995-2007 - In 1994, Governor Mel Carnahan appointed him to the Missouri Court of Appeals, and in 1995 he joined the Supreme Court of Missouri, becoming its first African-American Chief Justice from 2003 to 2005 - Judge, Missouri Court of Appeals, Eastern District, 1994-1995 - Special public defender and trial attorney, Office of the Special Public Defender, St. Louis, MO, 1987-1989 - Trial attorney, Office of the Public Defender, St. Louis, MO, 1984-1987 ### Education - University of Missouri–Kansas City School of Law — J.D. (1983) ### Additional information - rejected by Senate, October 5, 1999-present - In 2014, President Barack Obama nominated White to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri, succeeding Jean Constance Hamilton. - Private practice, St. Louis, MO, 2007-2014 - Retired from that court in 2007 - Practitioner, 1994-1994 - legis, 1994-1994 - prof, 1994-1994 - City counselor, St. Louis, MO, 1993-1994 - State representative, Missouri, 1989-1993 - Private practice, St. Louis, MO, 1987-1993 - U.S. Army Reserve, 1971-1980 - Born May 31, 1953, St. Louis, Missouri. - Date of birth: 1953-05-31 - Beaumont High School - Birth place: St. Louis, MO ## 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/3453/ronnie-lee-white/) - [Official roster](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/3453/ronnie-lee-white/) - [U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri current judicial profile](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/3453/ronnie-lee-white/) - [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/3453/ronnie-lee-white/) - [White, Ronnie Lee | Federal Judicial Center](https://www.fjc.gov/history/judges/white-ronnie-lee) - [Ronnie Lee White (E.D. Missouri, Supreme Court of Missouri) – CourtListener.com](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/3453/ronnie-lee-white) - [Wikidata: Ronnie L. White](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q16185660) ## JSON-LD ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/ronnie-lee-white-3453", "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/ronnie-lee-white-3453", "name": "Ronnie Lee White | KnowJudges", "description": "Ronnie Lee White, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri. 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