William S. Cooper (judge)
Kentucky judge (born 1941)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
William S. Cooper (born September 15, 1941) is an American lawyer who served as a justice of the Kentucky Supreme Court from 1996 until his resignation in 2006. He previously served as a circuit judge from 1979 to 1996.
William S. Cooper | |
|---|---|
| Justice of the Kentucky Supreme Court | |
| In office November 25, 1996 – June 30, 2006 | |
| Preceded by | Walter Arnold Baker |
| Succeeded by | John D. Minton Jr. |
| Judge of the 9th Kentucky Circuit Court | |
| In office February 16, 1979 – November 25, 1996 | |
| Preceded by | J. Howard Holbert |
| Succeeded by | Thomas S. Bland |
| Personal details | |
| Born | September 15, 1941 Elizabethtown, Kentucky, U.S. |
| Education | University of Kentucky (BA, JD) |
Early life
Cooper was born on September 15, 1941, in Elizabethtown, Kentucky.[1] He received a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Kentucky in 1963, followed by a Juris Doctor in 1970.[2]
Judicial career
Cooper was first appointed as a circuit judge on February 16, 1979, by governor Julian Carroll to fill a vacancy caused by the resignation of J. Howard Holbert. He was appointed to the 9th circuit, which comprises Hardin County.[3]
Cooper was elected to the supreme court in a November 1996 special election, defeating incumbent justice Walter Arnold Baker, who had been appointed by governor Paul E. Patton. He was reelected to a full eight-year term in 1998. He retired from the court on June 30, 2006.[4]
