ɪn dᵻsˈɛmbɚ nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd ˈeɪɾi ˈeɪt, ɡˈʌvɚnɚ djuːkmˈiːdʒiən ɐpˈɔɪntᵻd bˈækstɚɹ æz ɐn ɐsˈoʊsɪˌeɪt dʒˈʌstɪs ʌvðə kˌælɪfˈoːɹniə kˈoːɹt ʌv ɐpˈiːl fɚðə fˈɪfθ dˈɪstɹɪkt.
In December 1988, Governor Deukmejian appointed Baxter as an associate justice of the California Court of Appeal for the Fifth District.