April 27, 2013 - May 3, 2013, The Afro-American
Judge Bell looks on with amazement at the figurine of himself presented by Judge Marcia Holland
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Dr. Ruthe Sheffey, former Morgan English professor
More than 1,200 people were on hand April 18 at the Baltimore Hilton for a retirement dinner to celebrate the career and contributions of the Honorable Robert M. Bell, chief judge of the Court of Appeals of Maryland. The guest list was a veritable Who’s Who in Maryland law and politics: Gov. Martin O’Malley, Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings Blake, Sens. Barbara Mikulski and Ben Cardin and U.S. Rep Elijah Cummings, who drew thunderous applause Sen. Ben Cardin
when he discussed Bell’s place in history. Musical selections, including a rousing rendition of “Lift Ev’ry Voice,” the Black National Anthem, were provided by the Morgan State University Choir, the judge’s favorite musical group. Guests feasted on salmon, stuffed chicken and cheesecake as speaker after speaker paid homage to Bell, who first came to fame as a high school student fighting for civil rights and rose to become the first African American in Maryland history to serve as chief judge of the state Court of Appeals. Photos by J.D. Howard
An embrace for Sen. Ben Cardin Morgan President David Wilson and former president Earl Richardson Justice Kashini Zannah, chief judge, Borno State High Court of Justice Sen. Barbara Mikulski
Betty Stemley Sconion represented the judge's law clerks
Law Links participant, Tiffani Kennedy An early laugh with Rev. Douglas Sands
Judge Alexander Wright and his wife, Marcia
Cerissa O'Neal and J. Wyndal Gordon Prof. Byron Warnken, University of Baltimore Law School
Dr. Lenneal Henderson, University of Baltimore
Dean Phoebe Haddon with Prof. Leland Ware, left and Prof. Larry Gibson
Judge Irma Raker (retired), Court of Appeals of Md.
Judge Bell with Rev. Alvin Hathaway Sr. and Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake
Judge Bell with Dr. Sarah Garrett and Prof. Larry Gibson
Sunny Hostin, CNN legal analyst and ABC news anchor, served as the evening's host
AFRO columnist Valerie Fraling with Dr. Charlene Cooper-Boston
Rep. Elijah Cummings
Relatives of Judge Bell
The panel includes Prof. Gilbert Holmes, University of Baltimore; Dr. Debra Newman Hamm, Morgan State University and Prof. Leland Ware, University of Delaware
Prof. Jose Anderson, University of Baltimore Law School
Judge Bell is presented with a replica of one of his favorite poems, “The Guy in the Glass,” written by Dale Wimbrow