Eastern District of Kentucky / Appointed 1979 / Active

William Odis Bertelsman

Judge, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky

Appointed by President Jimmy Carter in 1979 and confirmed by voice vote, William Odis Bertelsman is a Judge on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky. He earned a law degree from University of Cincinnati College of Law in 1961. Sources: FJC Biographical Directory · Senate confirmation, November 26, 1979

Appointed by
Jimmy Carter, 1979
Confirmed
by voice vote
Education
Xavier, Ohio 1958 · University of Cincinnati College of Law 1961
Succeeded by
David L. Bunning
Federal judicial service
YearCourtAppointed byVote
1979Eastern District of KentuckyCarter (D)voice

A per-senator roll-call isn’t shown for this confirmation. The Senate’s recorded roll-call votes begin in 1989; many confirmations (especially before then, and most to the lower courts) were by voice vote or unanimous consent.

Education
Sources

46 years on the Eastern District of Kentucky. Data last verified 2026-06-28. Informational only; verify against the primary source before relying. Not a consumer report (FCRA).