Kenneth D. Bell

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Kenneth D. Bell

| image = Kenneth_D_Bell.png

| office = Judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of North Carolina

| appointer = Donald Trump

| term_start = June 12, 2019

| term_end =

| predecessor = Richard Lesley Voorhees

| successor =

| birth_name = Kenneth Duard Bell[https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/Bell%20SJQ.pdf United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary: Questionnaire for Judicial Nominees: Kenneth Davis Bell]

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1958|7|22}}[https://books.google.com/books?id=KXa6qOt86OwC&pg=PA16&lpg=PA16 Lightning Out of Lebanon: Hezbollah Terrorists on American Soil]

| birth_place = Bedford, Ohio, U.S.

| death_date =

| death_place =

| education = Wake Forest University (BA, JD)

| party = Republican

}}

Kenneth Davis Bell Sr. (born July 22, 1958) is a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of North Carolina.

Early life

Bell earned his Bachelor of Arts from Wake Forest University and his Juris Doctor from the Wake Forest University School of Law.{{cite web |url=https://trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/presidential-actions/president-donald-j-trump-announces-twelfth-wave-judicial-nominees-twelfth-wave-united-states-attorneys-sixth-wave-united-states-marshals/ |title=President Donald J. Trump Announces Twelfth Wave of Judicial Nominees, Twelfth Wave of United States Attorneys, and Sixth Wave of United States Marshals |last= |first= |date=April 10, 2018 |access-date=April 10, 2018 |via=National Archives |work=whitehouse.gov |quote=}} {{PD-notice}}{{cite web |url=https://www.mcguirewoods.com/People/B/Kenneth-D-Bell.aspx |title=Kenneth D. Bell bio |last= |first= |date= |website=McGuireWoods |publisher= |access-date=April 10, 2018 |quote=}} In 1990, he unsuccessfully ran for North Carolina's 5th congressional district as a Republican.

Legal career

In the Western District of North Carolina, Bell served as an Assistant United States Attorney for eight years and then as First Assistant U.S. Attorney for ten years. In 2003, he received the Department of Justice's John Marshall Award for prosecuting the first conviction of material support to a terrorist organization, which was by a Hezbollah cell. He later was a partner at Hunton & Williams and Mayer Brown. From 2003 to 2019 he was a partner at McGuireWoods.

Federal judicial service

On April 10, 2018, President Donald Trump announced his intent to nominate Bell to serve as a United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of North Carolina. On April 12, 2018, his nomination was sent to the Senate. He was nominated to the seat vacated by Judge Richard Lesley Voorhees, who assumed senior status on August 31, 2017.[https://trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/presidential-actions/twenty-nine-nominations-sent-senate-today/ "Twenty-Nine Nominations Sent to the Senate Today", The White House, April 12, 2018] On August 22, 2018, a hearing on his nomination was held before the Senate Judiciary Committee.[https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/meetings/08/22/2018/nominations United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary: Nominations for August 22, 2018] On October 11, 2018, his nomination was reported out of committee by an 11–10 vote.{{Cite web|url=https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/10-11-18%20Results%20of%20Executive%20Business%20Meeting1.pdf|title=Results of Executive Business Meeting – October 11, 2018|publisher=Senate Judiciary Committee}}

On January 3, 2019, his nomination was returned to the President under Rule XXXI, Paragraph 6 of the United States Senate. On January 23, 2019, President Trump announced his intent to renominate Bell for a federal judgeship.[https://trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/presidential-actions/president-donald-j-trump-announces-intent-nominate-judicial-nominees/ "President Donald J. Trump Announces Intent to Nominate Judicial Nominees", White House, January 23, 2019] His nomination was sent to the Senate later that day.[https://trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/presidential-actions/nominations-sent-senate-2/ "Nominations Sent to the Senate", White House, January 23, 2019] On February 7, 2019, his nomination was reported out of committee by a 12–10 vote.{{Cite web|url=https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/02.07.2019%20Results%20of%20Executive%20Business%20Meeting1.pdf|title=Results of Executive Business Meeting – February 7, 2019|publisher=Senate Judiciary Committee}} On May 21, 2019, the Senate invoked cloture on his nomination by a 56–42 vote.{{Cite web|url=https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_votes/vote1161/vote_116_1_00122.htm|title=On the Cloture Motion (Motion to Invoke Cloture: Kenneth D. Bell to be U.S. District Judge for the Western District of North Carolina)|website=United States Senate|date=May 21, 2019|access-date=June 27, 2023}} On May 22, 2019, his nomination was confirmed by a 55–43 vote.{{Cite web|url=https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=116&session=1&vote=00126|title=On the Nomination (Confirmation Kenneth D. Bell, of North Carolina, to be U.S. District Judge for the Western District of North Carolina)|website=United States Senate|date=May 22, 2019}} He received his judicial commission on June 12, 2019.{{FJC Bio|nid=6489616|inline=yes}}