Kenneth Davis Bell Sr. at a glance
- Current role
- Judge
- Court
- U.S. District Court for the Western District of North Carolina
- Jurisdiction
- North Carolina · Federal
- Judicial service
- June 12, 2019–present
Kenneth Davis Bell Sr.
Judge · U.S. District Court for the Western District of North Carolina
Available research
Loading public docket analytics…
Loading public docket analytics…
AI abuse cases
1 caseAI-related ruling · February 24, 2026
Ebony Sherisse Lucas v. Charles W. Scharf, et al.
- Court response
- Order to Show Cause
Biography
Professional career
- Assistant U.S. attorney, Western District of North Carolina, 1983-1988, 1990-2003; first assistant U.S. attorney, 1993-2003 Private practice, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, 1988-1990 Private practice, Charlotte, North Carolina, 2003-2019
Judicial service
- Judge, District Court, W.D. North Carolina, 2019-present
Education
- Wake Forest University · B.A., 1980
- Wake Forest University School of Law · J.D., 1983
Personal record
Born 1958 · Bedford, OH
Courtroom rules and guidance
Civil Remote Testimony
In federal district-court civil proceedings, testimony is ordinarily taken in open court; remote contemporaneous testimony requires good cause in compelling circumstances and appropriate safeguards.
For good cause in compelling circumstances and with appropriate safeguards, the court may permit testimony in open court by contemporaneous transmission from a different location.Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 43(a), Testimony in Open Court ↗
Criminal Recording And Broadcasting
Federal district courts may not permit courtroom photography or broadcasting during criminal judicial proceedings unless a statute or another federal rule provides an exception.
Except as otherwise provided by a statute or these rules, the court must not permit the taking of photographs in the courtroom during judicial proceedings or the broadcasting of judicial proceedings from the courtroom.Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 53, Courtroom Photographing and Broadcasting Prohibited ↗
Sources
Federal Judicial Center biography
Identity source · HTML · checked July 25, 2026
https://www.fjc.gov/node/6489616CourtListener judicial biographical directory
Identity source · HTML · checked August 2, 2026
https://www.courtlistener.com/person/8546/kenneth-davis-bell-sr/Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 43(a), Testimony in Open Court
Judge research source · HTML · checked July 26, 2026
https://www.uscourts.gov/forms-rules/current-rules-practice-procedure/federal-rules-civil-procedureFederal Rule of Criminal Procedure 53, Courtroom Photographing and Broadcasting Prohibited
Judge research source · HTML · checked July 26, 2026
https://www.uscourts.gov/court-records/access-court-proceedings/remote-public-access-proceedings/history-cameras-broadcasting-and-remote-public-access-courts