Honorable Robert M. Bell | |
|---|---|
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| 23rd Chief Judge of the Maryland Court of Appeals | |
| In office 1996 – July 6, 2013 | |
| Nominated by | Parris Glendening |
| Preceded by | Robert C. Murphy |
| Succeeded by | Mary Ellen Barbera |
| Judge of the Maryland Court of Appeals | |
| In office 1991 – July 6, 2013 | |
| Appointed by | William Donald Schaefer |
| Preceded by | Harry A. Cole |
| Succeeded by | Shirley M. Watts |
| Judge of the Maryland Court of Special Appeals | |
| In office 1984–1991 | |
| Appointed by | Harry R. Hughes |
| Succeeded by | Diana Gribbon Motz |
| Associate Judge of the Circuit Court for Baltimore City | |
| In office 1980–1984 | |
| Appointed by | Harry R. Hughes |
| Associate Judge of the Maryland District Court for District 1, Baltimore City | |
| In office 1975–1980 | |
| Appointed by | Marvin Mandel |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Robert Mack Bell July 6, 1943 Rocky Mount, North Carolina, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Morgan State College (AB) Harvard Law School (JD) |
Robert Mack Bell (born July 6, 1943) is an American lawyer and jurist from Baltimore, Maryland. From 1996 to 2013, he served as Chief Judge on the Maryland Court of Appeals, now known as the Supreme Court of Maryland, the state's highest appellate court. He was the first African American to hold the position.
At 16 years old, Bell was the lead plaintiff in Bell v. Maryland, a case that ultimately helped push the U.S. toward desegregation.[1] Bell served as a judge at every level of the Maryland court system; and on July 6, 2013, reached the state's mandatory retirement age of 70 years for appellate and circuit court judges.
- ^ "Robert M. Bell, chief judge of Maryland Court of Appeals, retiring". The Baltimore Sun. April 13, 2013. Archived from the original on July 22, 2013. Retrieved July 20, 2013.