--- title: "Bernard C. Barmann Jr. | KnowJudges" canonical: "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/bernard-c-barmann-jr" page_type: "judge_profile" updated: "2026-10-07" --- # Bernard C. Barmann Jr. Superior Court of California, County of Kern · Superior Court Judge ## Profile - Court: Superior Court of California, County of Kern - State: California - Role: Superior Court Judge - Service status: active - Last verified: 2026-07-28 ## Summary Official statewide and applicable court procedural guidance applies to this judge. ## Before you appear - Read the judge-specific standing order first when one is listed. - Check the docket and case orders for requirements that supersede broader guidance. - Confirm current remote-access and courtroom technology arrangements before the proceeding. ## Courtroom Rules ### audiovisual evidence Scope: statewide A party offering an electronic sound or sound-and-video recording must provide the court and opposing parties a transcript and provide opposing parties a duplicate of the recording. Evidence excerpt: the party must provide to the court and to opposing parties a transcript of the electronic recording and provide opposing parties with a duplicate of the electronic recording [California Rule 2.1040, Electronic recordings presented or offered into evidence](https://courts.ca.gov/cms/rules/index/two/rule2_1040) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ### remote proceedings Scope: statewide California courts should permit remote participation in covered civil proceedings, subject to the statute, local rules, and controlling orders. Evidence excerpt: courts should permit parties to appear remotely at conferences, hearings, and proceedings in civil cases consistent with Code of Civil Procedure section 367.75 [California Rule 3.672, Remote proceedings](https://courts.ca.gov/cms/rules/index/three/rule3_672) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ### remote participants and witnesses Scope: statewide Covered civil parties and witnesses may appear remotely, and the court may conduct proceedings in whole or in part using remote technology. Evidence excerpt: that party or witness may appear remotely and the court may conduct conferences, hearings, and proceedings, in whole or in part, through the use of remote technology [California Code of Civil Procedure section 367.75](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?sectionNum=367.75.&lawCode=CCP) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ### recording and broadcasting Scope: statewide Court proceedings may not be photographed, recorded, or broadcast except as Rule 1.150 permits. Evidence excerpt: Except as provided in this rule, court proceedings may not be photographed, recorded, or broadcast. [California Rule 1.150, Photographing, recording, and broadcasting in court](https://courts.ca.gov/cms/rules/index/one/rule1_150) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ### expedited jury trial presentations Scope: statewide In expedited jury trials, parties may use slides, electronic presentations, projections, exhibit notebooks, and other methods approved at the pretrial conference. Evidence excerpt: the parties may present summaries and may use photographs, diagrams, slides, electronic presentations, overhead projections, individual notebooks of exhibits for submission to the jurors, or other innovative methods of presentation approved at the pretrial conference [California Rule 3.1551, Case presentation](https://courts.ca.gov/cms/rules/index/three/rule3_1551) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ### expedited jury trial pretrial agreements Scope: statewide Voluntary expedited jury trial submissions must identify party agreements concerning electronic presentations and other proposed presentation methods. Evidence excerpt: Any agreements of the parties to use photographs, diagrams, slides, electronic presentations, overhead projections, notebooks of exhibits, or other methods of presenting information to the jury [California Rule 3.1548, Pretrial submissions for voluntary expedited jury trials](https://courts.ca.gov/cms/rules/index/three/rule3_1548) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ### exhibit admission Scope: statewide An exhibit must be admitted by the judge before it may be used in the case. Evidence excerpt: The judge must to allow you to admit the exhibit as evidence in order for you to use it in your case. [How to introduce exhibits at a trial](https://selfhelp.courts.ca.gov/how-introduce-exhibits-trial) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ## Sources - [Official profile](https://courts.ca.gov/courts/superior-courts/judges-roster) - [Official roster](https://courts.ca.gov/courts/superior-courts/judges-roster) - [Judicial Branch of California official judicial roster](https://courts.ca.gov/courts/superior-courts/judges-roster) - [California Rule 2.1040, Electronic recordings presented or offered into evidence](https://courts.ca.gov/cms/rules/index/two/rule2_1040) - [California Rule 3.672, Remote proceedings](https://courts.ca.gov/cms/rules/index/three/rule3_672) - [California Code of Civil Procedure section 367.75](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?sectionNum=367.75.&lawCode=CCP) - [California Rule 1.150, Photographing, recording, and broadcasting in court](https://courts.ca.gov/cms/rules/index/one/rule1_150) - [California Rule 3.1551, Case presentation](https://courts.ca.gov/cms/rules/index/three/rule3_1551) - [California Rule 3.1548, Pretrial submissions for voluntary expedited jury trials](https://courts.ca.gov/cms/rules/index/three/rule3_1548) - [How to introduce exhibits at a trial](https://selfhelp.courts.ca.gov/how-introduce-exhibits-trial) ## JSON-LD ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/bernard-c-barmann-jr", "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/bernard-c-barmann-jr", "name": "Bernard C. 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Barmann Jr.", "item": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/bernard-c-barmann-jr" } ] } ] } ``` ## Biography ### Professional career - Political registration: No party preference Judicial Work and Notable Activity The lists numerous appellate rulings and trial‐level matters involving Judge Barmann, including employment law, torts, labor law, and medical cases, with decisions published between 2022 and 2026 - Bernard C. Barmann, Jr. is a supervising judge of the Civil Division at the Kern County Superior Court in Bakersfield, California, appointed in December 2020 by Governor Gavin Newsom - Kern County Superior Court judge appointed in December 2020, with a career spanning major law firms and long-standing practice in Bakersfield - Kuhs & Parker (2011–2020) — associate, then partner - 2011–2019 — Associate, Kuhs & Parker, Bakersfield - 2002–2007 — Partner, Hirschmann & Barmann LLP Later Legal Practice (2008–2019) - 2008–2011 — Counsel, O’Melveny & Myers LLP - 2000–2002 — Associate, Proskauer Rose LLP - 1990–1999 — Special counsel and associate, O’Melveny & Myers LLP - Bernard C. Barmann, Jr., Lawyer at Kuhs & Parker | Bernard C. Barmann, Jr. has been admitted in 1990, California ### Education - Columbia Law School, Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar in first year — J.D. (1990) - Columbia University School of Law — J.D. (1990) - Economics–Accounting, cum laude, Claremont McKenna College — B.A. (1988) ### Additional information - Appointed: December 8, 2020, by Governor Gavin Newsom to a newly created judgeship (position created September 24, 2019) - 2019–2020 — Partner, Kuhs & Parker Additional professional details: Admitted to the California Bar in 1990, and admitted to the U.S. District Courts (Central & Southern Districts of California) and the U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Federal and Tenth Circuits - Honors and activities: Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar, staff member of the Columbia Journal of Law and Social Problems, member of the Forensics Society, and co‐founder/faculty member of the Claremont Forensics Institute Early Legal Career (1990–2007) - Former West High School debate champion, president of the West High School Alumni Association, and active in Rotary and community service - Barmann has a 30‐year legal career in civil litigation - Born in Ohio, Barmann moved to California at age four and grew up in Bakersfield’s Park Stockdale neighborhood ## Published courtroom rules ### Shared court rules - [California Trial Court Rules](https://knowjudges.com/courtroom-rules/national-shared-set-9f680f8d47ee26f7ea1a6bce) — Applicable trial-court proceedings; individual rules may be limited to civil, criminal or other case types. Section-specific exceptions, waivers, later amendments and case orders remain applicable. This is a source excerpt, not an exhaustive statement of the rule. [Official source](https://courts.ca.gov/system/files?file=file/roc-title-2.pdf). Collected 2026-10-27. - [California Civil Rules](https://knowjudges.com/courtroom-rules/national-shared-set-b2d4d123885851a5fcca88dd) — Civil proceedings; Rule 3.10 and specialized-case exclusions apply. Section-specific exceptions, waivers, later amendments and case orders remain applicable. This is a source excerpt, not an exhaustive statement of the rule. [Official source](https://courts.ca.gov/system/files?file=file/roc-title-3_3.pdf). Collected 2026-10-27. - [California Criminal Rules](https://knowjudges.com/courtroom-rules/national-shared-set-f6b70a7925331d01ac4f3da8) — Criminal proceedings only. Section-specific exceptions, waivers, later amendments and case orders remain applicable. This is a source excerpt, not an exhaustive statement of the rule. [Official source](https://courts.ca.gov/system/files?file=file/roc-title-4.pdf). Collected 2026-10-27. - [California Family and Juvenile Rules](https://knowjudges.com/courtroom-rules/national-shared-set-b35daaa50a3da8133dcea76d) — Family and juvenile proceedings only; a general Superior Court assignment does not establish a personal family/juvenile assignment. Section-specific exceptions, waivers, later amendments and case orders remain applicable. This is a source excerpt, not an exhaustive statement of the rule. [Official source](https://courts.ca.gov/system/files?file=file/roc-title-5_3.pdf). Collected 2026-10-27. - [California Probate Rules and Mental Health Rules](https://knowjudges.com/courtroom-rules/national-shared-set-7c869f3fd279fe758c2d41be) — Probate and mental health proceedings only; a general Superior Court assignment does not establish a personal probate assignment. Section-specific exceptions, waivers, later amendments and case orders remain applicable. This is a source excerpt, not an exhaustive statement of the rule. [Official source](https://courts.ca.gov/system/files?file=file/roc-title-7.pdf). Collected 2026-10-27. - [California Rule 2.1040, Electronic recordings presented or offered into evidence](https://knowjudges.com/courtroom-rules/national-shared-set-cece5afa480bc6cbddca965c) — Scope is limited to the court class in the source claim. Shared court context only; case-type restrictions, exceptions, later amendments and case orders apply. This is not a personal preference or a complete rules inventory. [Official source](https://courts.ca.gov/cms/rules/index/two/rule2_1040). Collected 2026-07-26. - [California Code of Civil Procedure section 367.75](https://knowjudges.com/courtroom-rules/national-shared-set-e40ba2699f4d3d815dac46ca) — Scope is limited to the court class in the source claim. Shared court context only; case-type restrictions, exceptions, later amendments and case orders apply. This is not a personal preference or a complete rules inventory. [Official source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?sectionNum=367.75.&lawCode=CCP). Collected 2026-07-26. - [California Rule 1.150, Photographing, recording, and broadcasting in court](https://knowjudges.com/courtroom-rules/national-shared-set-e59897426ff892cfcd8e0103) — Scope is limited to the court class in the source claim. Shared court context only; case-type restrictions, exceptions, later amendments and case orders apply. This is not a personal preference or a complete rules inventory. [Official source](https://courts.ca.gov/cms/rules/index/one/rule1_150). Collected 2026-07-26.