The Hon. Lester B. Bass is a judge for the 4th Judicial Circuit Court of Florida. He was appointed to the bench by former Governor Rick Scott in 2018, filling a vacancy created by the retirement of the Hon. Robert M. Foster.
The 4th Judicial Circuit encompasses Clay County, Duval County, and Nassau County. Bass has held assignments in Nassau County and Duval County, presiding over cases in the Juvenile Dependency Division, the Juvenile Delinquency Division, the Family Division, and the Mental Health Court.
Prior to his appointment, Bass was a judge for the Duval County Court, a position to which he was named in 2014. He presided over misdemeanor crimes, traffic violations, small claims actions, and evictions. Before that, he was a general magistrate for the 4th Judicial Circuit Court (2003 to 2014), a sole practitioner in his own private practice, and an associate at Bivens, Jones & Associates.
Bass earned a bachelor’s degree in history from Duke University in 1985. He then completed a J.D. at the University of North Carolina School of Law in 1988.
After graduating from law school, Bass began his legal career as a staff attorney with Jacksonville Area Legal Aid. He worked in that capacity until 1992, at which time he became an assistant state attorney in the Office of the State Attorney for the 4th Judicial Circuit. Then, in 1994, he joined the Office of the Public Defender for the 13th Judicial Circuit.
His memberships have included the Class of 2009 Leadership Jacksonville and the Board of Directors for Operation New Hope.