Judge Holmes received his law degree from Saint Louis University School of Law. He began his legal career with the Federal Public Defender’s Office for the Eastern District of Missouri. Judge Holmes has worked with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the law firm of Johnnie Cochran, and as a sole practitioner.

Judge Holmes returned to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in 2015, where he served as Chief of the Violent Crime Unit and the Project Safe Neighborhood Coordinator. Judge Holmes was sworn in as a United States Magistrate Judge for the Eastern District of Missouri on February 6, 2023.