Anita Baker -- I'm No Longer a Wanted Woman ... And I'm SO Happy!

Anita Baker has dodged arrest in Detroit, after a judge withdrew a warrant to haul her into custody.

TMZ broke the story ... Anita was a no show at a court hearing over a lawsuit filed by a house painter who she hired to repair water damage to her home.  Anita says she didn't pay him the balance owed because he screwed up the job.  He sued, she was a no show in court and he got a default judgment.

There was a follow-up hearing last week, and she didn't show for that either, and that's when the judge issued the arrest warrant.

The warrant was withdrawn today ... after her lawyer went to court and insisted Anita was never served with legal docs.

The lawyer will go to court next month in an attempt to set aside the default judgment ... on grounds she was never served with the lawsuit in the first place.