Kenneth B. Bell
Encyclopedia
Kenneth B. Bell is a former Associate Justice of the Florida Supreme Court
.
in Davidson, North Carolina
as an undergraduate, and received his Juris Doctor
from the Florida State University College of Law
in 1982.
by Former Governor Bush
in December 2002, took office January 2003, and labored forward with distinction as the first Justice to be returned from the Pensacola area in a century.
He resigned from the bench effective October 1, 2008, and upon accepting his resignation, Governor Charlie Christ honored him with the following:
"Your contributions to Florida law and the judicial system will stand for many years to come. You never wavered in following the text of our Constitution and statutes, and by doing so you set an example of judicial restraint for jurists everywhere. As a man of humility and deep faith in God, you have served as a role model of personal and professional integrity on the bench."
In addition to this, he also expressed a desire to help his community, which has suffered the effects of Hurricane Ivan
. He was succeeded by Justice Ricky Polston
.
Bell returned to the practice of law on October 1, 2008 as a partner with the Pensacola, Florida
office of the regional law firm, Clark, Partington, Hart, Larry, Bond & Stackhouse.
He now lives in Pensacola with the last two of his four children. The eldest, Bradley Reed Bell, is a financial analyst for CNL in Dallas. His eldest daughter, Sarah Grace Bell, attends Wheaton College in Chicago, Illinois. His youngest daughter and son, Stephanie Faith Bell and Daniel Reed Bell, attend Trinitas Christian School in Pensacola. According to his children, "He is a loving father who will do almost anything to ensure our happiness as a family."
records a pedigree headed by John Bell of Greatworth, in Northants, father of James Bell, of Greatworth, who married Jane, daughter of John Randall, of Westhorp, Northants, who migrated to Ireland in 1658, where he obtained lands in Carlow and Queen's County. Through this marriage descend Justice Bell's American ancestors; Florida pioneers who migrated from Ireland, that have thenceforth resided in the Pensacola
area for seven generations. A number of members of this family have devoted their lives to the Military and public service whereby they have made significant contributions to the community, including gifts of real estate with specific attention to helping children.
Other Bells of note that descend from this lineage include, The Bells of Pendall Court, Surrey, the family seat of William Archibald Juxon Bell, Major R.A.S.C.
, b. 1883, who in 1916 married Mary Isabel Maude, and had issue. 1. William Archibald Ottley Juxon Bell of Cottisford House, Northants
2. Edward Hamiliton Juxon Bell 3. John Richard Juxon Bell.
Arms
: (Ulster's Office
) Azure
a chevron ermine
between in chief
two bells and in base a fleam
Or
'
Florida Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of the State of Florida is the highest court in the U.S. state of Florida. The Supreme Court consists of seven judges: the Chief Justice and six Justices who are appointed by the Governor to 6-year terms and remain in office if retained in a general election near the end of each...
.
Education
Bell attended Davidson CollegeDavidson College
Davidson College is a private liberal arts college in Davidson, North Carolina. The college has graduated 23 Rhodes Scholars and is consistently ranked in the top ten liberal arts colleges in the country by U.S. News and World Report magazine, although it has recently dropped to 11th in U.S. News...
in Davidson, North Carolina
Davidson, North Carolina
Davidson is a town in Mecklenburg County in the U.S. state of North Carolina. The population was 7,139 at the 2000 census. It is home to Davidson College...
as an undergraduate, and received his Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
from the Florida State University College of Law
Florida State University College of Law
Florida State University College of Law is the law school of Florida State University in Tallahassee. The law school's highly accomplished and accessible law faculty delivers a program that has an interdisciplinary orientation designed to produce well-rounded and effective lawyers.The law school...
in 1982.
Career
Commencing from 1982 and for nearly a decade, Bell labored in private-practice and specialized in the field of real estate law. He became board certified in real estate law in 1989 and was confirmed by the Florida Bar in January 1991. In the same year, he became the youngest circuit judge in the history of the First Judicial Circuit of Florida. For the next 12 years Bell served on the bench and in other capacities within the community, and was consequently appointed to the Florida Supreme CourtFlorida Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of the State of Florida is the highest court in the U.S. state of Florida. The Supreme Court consists of seven judges: the Chief Justice and six Justices who are appointed by the Governor to 6-year terms and remain in office if retained in a general election near the end of each...
by Former Governor Bush
Jeb Bush
John Ellis "Jeb" Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd Governor of Florida from 1999 to 2007. He is a prominent member of the Bush family: the second son of former President George H. W. Bush and former First Lady Barbara Bush; the younger brother of former President George W...
in December 2002, took office January 2003, and labored forward with distinction as the first Justice to be returned from the Pensacola area in a century.
He resigned from the bench effective October 1, 2008, and upon accepting his resignation, Governor Charlie Christ honored him with the following:
"Your contributions to Florida law and the judicial system will stand for many years to come. You never wavered in following the text of our Constitution and statutes, and by doing so you set an example of judicial restraint for jurists everywhere. As a man of humility and deep faith in God, you have served as a role model of personal and professional integrity on the bench."
Resignation
On May 23, 2008, Bell announced that he would resign from the supreme court on October 1, 2008, which he hoped would allow the "constitutional mechanism" enough time to find a suitable replacement. “Serving the people of Florida as a justice,” Bell wrote, “has been the greatest privilege of my public life. Indeed, I wish I could continue to serve. However, similar to the reasons recently expressed by Justice Raoul Cantero in his resignation, my family responsibilities require that I return full-time to Pensacola.”In addition to this, he also expressed a desire to help his community, which has suffered the effects of Hurricane Ivan
Hurricane Ivan
Hurricane Ivan was a large, long-lived, Cape Verde-type hurricane that caused widespread damage in the Caribbean and United States. The cyclone was the ninth named storm, the sixth hurricane and the fourth major hurricane of the active 2004 Atlantic hurricane season...
. He was succeeded by Justice Ricky Polston
Ricky Polston
Ricky L. Polston is a Justice of the Florida Supreme Court. He is a graduate of Florida State University College of Law.- Background :...
.
Bell returned to the practice of law on October 1, 2008 as a partner with the Pensacola, Florida
Pensacola, Florida
Pensacola is the westernmost city in the Florida Panhandle and the county seat of Escambia County, Florida, United States of America. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 56,255 and as of 2009, the estimated population was 53,752...
office of the regional law firm, Clark, Partington, Hart, Larry, Bond & Stackhouse.
He now lives in Pensacola with the last two of his four children. The eldest, Bradley Reed Bell, is a financial analyst for CNL in Dallas. His eldest daughter, Sarah Grace Bell, attends Wheaton College in Chicago, Illinois. His youngest daughter and son, Stephanie Faith Bell and Daniel Reed Bell, attend Trinitas Christian School in Pensacola. According to his children, "He is a loving father who will do almost anything to ensure our happiness as a family."
Ancestry and extended family
An entry within Burke's Peerage, and Landed GentryBurke's Peerage
Burke's Peerage publishes authoritative, in-depth historical guides to the royal and titled families of the United Kingdom, such as Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knightage, and of many other countries. Founded in 1826 by British genealogist John Burke Esq., and continued by his son, Sir John...
records a pedigree headed by John Bell of Greatworth, in Northants, father of James Bell, of Greatworth, who married Jane, daughter of John Randall, of Westhorp, Northants, who migrated to Ireland in 1658, where he obtained lands in Carlow and Queen's County. Through this marriage descend Justice Bell's American ancestors; Florida pioneers who migrated from Ireland, that have thenceforth resided in the Pensacola
Pensacola
Pensacola is a city in the western part of the U.S. state of Florida.Pensacola may also refer to:* Pensacola people, a group of Native Americans* A number of places in the Florida:** Pensacola Bay** Pensacola Regional Airport...
area for seven generations. A number of members of this family have devoted their lives to the Military and public service whereby they have made significant contributions to the community, including gifts of real estate with specific attention to helping children.
Other Bells of note that descend from this lineage include, The Bells of Pendall Court, Surrey, the family seat of William Archibald Juxon Bell, Major R.A.S.C.
Royal Army Service Corps
The Royal Army Service Corps was a corps of the British Army. It was responsible for land, coastal and lake transport; air despatch; supply of food, water, fuel, and general domestic stores such as clothing, furniture and stationery ; administration of...
, b. 1883, who in 1916 married Mary Isabel Maude, and had issue. 1. William Archibald Ottley Juxon Bell of Cottisford House, Northants
Members of the Greater London Council
The following people served as Members of the Greater London Council, either as councillors or Aldermen. The polling days were:* April 9, 1964 * April 13, 1967...
2. Edward Hamiliton Juxon Bell 3. John Richard Juxon Bell.
Arms
Coat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
: (Ulster's Office
Norroy and Ulster King of Arms
Norroy and Ulster King of Arms is one of the senior Officers of Arms of the College of Arms, and the junior of the two provincial Kings of Arms. The current office is the combination of two former appointments...
) Azure
Azure
In heraldry, azure is the tincture with the colour blue, and belongs to the class of tinctures called "colours". In engraving, it is sometimes depicted as a region of horizontal lines or else marked with either az. or b. as an abbreviation....
a chevron ermine
Ermine (heraldry)
Ermine is a heraldic fur representing the winter coat of the stoat . Many skins would be sewn together to make a luxurious garment, producing a pattern of small black spots on a white field...
between in chief
Chief (heraldry)
In heraldic blazon, a chief is a charge on a coat of arms that takes the form of a band running horizontally across the top edge of the shield. Writers disagree in how much of the shield's surface is to be covered by the chief, ranging from one-fourth to one-third. The former is more likely if the...
two bells and in base a fleam
Fleam
A fleam, also flem, flew, flue, fleame, or phleam, was a handheld instrument used for bloodletting.- History :This name for handheld venepuncture devices first appears in Anglo-Saxon manuscripts at around A.D. 1000. The name is probably derived from the phlebotome from phlebos, Greek for vein, and...
Or
Or (heraldry)
In heraldry, Or is the tincture of gold and, together with argent , belongs to the class of light tinctures called "metals". In engravings and line drawings, it may be represented using a field of evenly spaced dots...
'
External links
- Fineout, G., "High court in Crist's hands," The Miami Herald, May 24, 2008.
- Wills, Administrations and Deeds - Ireland http://www.from-ireland.net/gene/wills.htm
- Howard, J., & Crisp, F., p. 60 [Bell-Bewley] The Visitation of Ireland http://books.google.com/books?id=8ukKAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA60&dq=the+visitation+of+ireland+joseph+jackson+bewley&lr=
- Jeffrey W. Bass http://jeffbass.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=portfolio.viewItem&item_id=138&cat_id=23