Kenneth B. Bell

Infobox_Person
name = Kenneth Bell

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birth_date =
birth_place =
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alma_mater = Florida State University
Davidson College
occupation = Former Justice for the
Florida Supreme Court
residence =
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children =
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religion =
nationality = American

Kenneth B. Bell has been a Justice of the Florida Supreme Court since January 7, 2003. He was appointed by former Governor Jeb Bush.

Education

Bell attended Davidson College in Davidson, North Carolina as an undergraduate, and received his Juris Doctor from the Florida State University College of Law 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 was board certified in real estate law in 1989 and later in January 1991 by the Florida Bar. In 19991, 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 apponinted to the Florida Supreme Court by Governor Bush in 2003.

Bell will return 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 [http://www.cphlaw.com] .

Resignation

On May 23, 2008, Bell announced that he would resign from the supreme court on October 1, 2008, which he hopes will 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. His successor will be chosen by Governor Charlie Crist.

Ancestry and extended family

An entry within "Burke's Peerage, and Landed Gentry" records a pedigee 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.

ources and external links

# [http://www.floridasupremecourt.org/justices/bell.shtml Florida Supreme Court page on Kenneth B. Bell]
#http://goliath.ecnext.com/coms2/gi_0199-2549097/Bell-joins-the-Supreme-Court.html
#Bousquet, S., & Leary, A., St. Peterburg Times Times, May 24, 2008 [http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/state/article522573.ece Second justice on Florida Supreme Court resigns ]
#Fineout, G., " [http://www.miamiherald.com/top_stories/story/545235.html High court in Crist's hands] ," The Miami Herald, May 24, 2008.
#Dr. M. Langley Bell, Jr. [http://www.nae4ha.org/hof/florida03.pdf]
#Seaver, J., "Bell family Records", American Historical Genealogical Society, 1929.
#William Archibald Ottley Juxon Bell [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/obituaries/article380706.ece]
#Debrett's [http://www.debretts.co.uk/]
#Burke, B., "Burke's Peerage", London 1939
#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=]

Likeness

[http://jeffbass.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=portfolio.viewItem&item_id=138&cat_id=23]