{{Short description|American judge}} {{Infobox officeholder | honorific_prefix = | name = Karl Spillman Forester | honorific_suffix = | image = | alt = | caption = | office = Senior Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky | term_start = May 2, 2005 | term_end = March 29, 2014 | office1 = Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky | term_start1 = 2001 | term_end1 = 2005 | predecessor1 = Henry Rupert Wilhoit Jr. | successor1 = Joseph Martin Hood | office2 = Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky | term_start2 = July 27, 1988 | term_end2 = May 2, 2005 | nominator2 = | appointer2 = Ronald Reagan | predecessor2 = ''Seat established by 71 Stat. 586'' | successor2 = Gregory F. Van Tatenhove | pronunciation = | birth_name = Karl Spillman Forester | birth_date = {{Birth date|1940|05|02}} | birth_place = Harlan, Kentucky | death_date = {{Death date and age|2014|03|29|1940|05|02}} | death_place = Lexington, Kentucky | death_cause = | resting_place = | resting_place_coordinates = | citizenship = | party = | other_party = | height = | spouse = | partner = | relations = | children = | parents = | mother = | father = | relatives = | education = University of Kentucky <small>(B.A.)</small><br>University of Kentucky College of Law <small>(J.D.)</small> | alma_mater = | occupation = | profession = | known_for = | salary = | net_worth = | cabinet = | committees = | portfolio = | awards = | signature = | signature_alt = | website = <!--Embedded templates / Footnotes--> | footnotes = }}
'''Karl Spillman Forester''' (May 2, 1940 – March 29, 2014) was a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky.
==Education and career==
Born in Harlan, Kentucky,<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2LxFAQAAIAAJ&q=%22Forester,+karl+spillman%22|title=Biographical Directory of the Federal Judiciary|date=14 August 2017|publisher=Bernan Press|isbn=9780890592588|via=Google Books}}</ref> Forester received a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Kentucky in 1962 and a Juris Doctor from the University of Kentucky College of Law in 1966. He was in private practice in Harlan from 1966 to 1988.<ref name="fjc.gov">{{cite web|url=https://www.fjc.gov/history/judges/forester-karl-spillman|title=Forester, Karl Spillman - Federal Judicial Center|website=www.fjc.gov}}</ref>
==Federal judicial service==
Forester was nominated by President Ronald Reagan on March 30, 1988, to the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky, to a new seat authorized by 71 Stat. 586 following the certification of Green Wix Unthank as disabled. He was confirmed by the United States Senate on July 26, 1988, and received commission on July 27, 1988. He served as Chief Judge from 2001 to 2005. He assumed senior status on May 2, 2005. His service terminated on March 29, 2014, due to death.<ref name="fjc.gov"/>
==Death==
Forester died on March 29, 2014, in Lexington, Kentucky at the age of 73.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kentucky.com/news/local/obituaries/article44480265.html|title=Karl Forester, federal judge in Kentucky since 1988, dies at age 73|website=kentucky}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==Sources== * {{FJC Bio|780|nid=1380846|name=Karl Spillman Forester<!--(1940–2014)-->}} * [https://web.archive.org/web/20091018142747/http://www.kyed.uscourts.gov/judges/judge-ksf.htm Judge Forester's Homepage] * [http://www.kentucky.com/471/story/975090.html "Kentucky.com" Federal judge rules in favor of plane crash widow, October 13, 2009] * [http://www.kentucky.com/471/story/857642.html "Kentucky.com" Federal judge wants to limit pretrial publicity, July 9, 2009] * [http://www.kentucky.com/181/story/1111897.html?storylink=omni_popular "Lexington Herald-Leader" ''Bribery charges dismissed in bid-rigging case'', January 27, 2010] * [http://www.judicialwatch.org/judge/forester-karl-s "Judge Forester Financial Disclosures"]{{Dead link|date=August 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} * [http://www.city-data.com/elec2/elec-HARLAN-KY.html "Karl Forester Political Contributions"]
{{s-start}} {{s-legal}} {{s-bef|before=Seat established by 71 Stat. 586}} {{s-ttl|title={{nowrap|Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky}}|years=1988–2005}} {{s-aft|after=Gregory F. Van Tatenhove}} {{s-bef|before=Henry Rupert Wilhoit Jr.}} {{s-ttl|title={{nowrap|Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky}}|years=2001–2005}} {{s-aft|after=Joseph Martin Hood}} {{s-end}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Forester, Karl Spillman}} Category:1940 births Category:2014 deaths Category:People from Harlan, Kentucky Category:Judges of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky Category:United States district court judges appointed by Ronald Reagan Category:University of Kentucky alumni Category:University of Kentucky Rosenberg College of Law alumni