--- title: "Kenneth R. Bass | KnowJudges" canonical: "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/kenneth-r-bass-magistrate-decatur-county-superior-court-in" page_type: "judge_profile" updated: "2026-10-07" --- # Kenneth R. Bass Decatur County Superior Court · Magistrate ## Profile - Court: Decatur County Superior Court - State: Indiana - Role: Magistrate - Service status: active - Last verified: 2026-07-26 ## Summary Official statewide and applicable court procedural guidance applies to this judge. ## Biography ### Professional career - Magistrate judge for the Decatur County Superior Court and Decatur County Circuit Court in Indiana, with a background in law practice, public service, and legal administration - addressed a matter involving Bass, in which he was accused of accepting a private legal fee from a client he represented as a public defender and failing to disclose the arrangement to the trial court - Experienced Indiana attorney and judge, with a background in private legal practice, public prosecution, and county governance, now serving as a magistrate in Decatur County’s circuit and superior courts - Deputy prosecuting attorney for the Decatur County Prosecutor’s Office - County counsel to the Decatur County Board of Commissioners the biographical record ### Education ### Additional information - September 1, 2021 - , a law firm he joined in 2016 - admitted to the State Bar of Indiana in 1976 - Biography of Judge Kenneth R. Bass - Judge Bass presides over cases in Decatur County, among them small claims, evictions, and other civil matters - partner at the Stephen Legal Group - Indiana Supreme Court Disciplinary Commission - He has been in his current judicial role since - His judicial service is part of the Indiana judicial system, and he is listed in the official Indiana Judicial Branch roster - Consumer bankruptcy - Family law - Probate and estate planning - Criminal defensethe biographical record - Statement of Circumstances and Conditional Agreement for Discipline - under Indiana Admission and Discipline Rule 23, Section 11(c) - handling a variety of cases and maintaining active judicial duties ## 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 ### electronic evidence presentation Scope: statewide Indiana Rule 2.17 lets a judge authorize electronic or photographic means for evidence presentation, record perpetuation, or judicial administration. Evidence excerpt: a judge may authorize: (1) the use of electronic or photographic means for the presentation of evidence [Indiana Code of Judicial Conduct Rule 2.17: Prohibiting Broadcasting of Proceedings](https://rules.incourts.gov/Content/judicial-conduct/rule2-17/current.htm) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ### photography recording Scope: statewide Indiana courtroom broadcasting, recording, digital streaming, and photography require judicial authorization under Rule 2.17. Evidence excerpt: No broadcast of a court proceeding is allowed without authorization from the judge. [Indiana Code of Judicial Conduct Rule 2.17: Prohibiting Broadcasting of Proceedings](https://rules.incourts.gov/Content/judicial-conduct/rule2-17/current.htm) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ### remote non testimonial proceedings Scope: statewide Indiana courts may conduct non-testimonial hearings or conferences remotely on request or on the court's own order. Evidence excerpt: a court may, upon request or on its own order, conduct the hearing or conference as a remote proceeding [Indiana Administrative Rule 14: Remote Proceedings](https://rules.incourts.gov/Content/admin/rule14/current.htm) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ### remote testimonial proceedings Scope: statewide Indiana testimonial proceedings are presumptively in person unless good cause is shown or the parties agree to remote participation. Evidence excerpt: A court must conduct all testimonial proceedings in person except that a court may conduct the proceedings remotely [Indiana Administrative Rule 14: Remote Proceedings](https://rules.incourts.gov/Content/admin/rule14/current.htm) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ### camera request process Scope: statewide Indiana's public cameras guidance states that local judicial officers have discretion to authorize news-media cameras in non-confidential trial-court proceedings. Evidence excerpt: Judicial officers around the state have the authority to allow news media into their courtrooms [Indiana Judicial Branch: Cameras in Indiana Trial Courts](https://www.in.gov/courts/cameras/) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ## Sources - [Official profile](https://www.in.gov/dA/73fb234765/court-directory.pdf?language_id=1) - [Official roster](https://www.in.gov/dA/73fb234765/court-directory.pdf?language_id=1) - [Indiana Judicial Branch official judicial roster](https://www.in.gov/dA/73fb234765/court-directory.pdf?language_id=1) - [Indiana Code of Judicial Conduct Rule 2.17: Prohibiting Broadcasting of Proceedings](https://rules.incourts.gov/Content/judicial-conduct/rule2-17/current.htm) - [Indiana Administrative Rule 14: Remote Proceedings](https://rules.incourts.gov/Content/admin/rule14/current.htm) - [Indiana Judicial Branch: Cameras in Indiana Trial Courts](https://www.in.gov/courts/cameras/) ## JSON-LD ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/kenneth-r-bass-magistrate-decatur-county-superior-court-in", "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/kenneth-r-bass-magistrate-decatur-county-superior-court-in", "name": "Kenneth R. 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This is not a personal preference or a complete rules inventory. [Official source](https://rules.incourts.gov/Content/admin/rule14/current.htm). Collected 2026-07-26.