He was a state court judge in the Supreme Court of the State of New York, Tenth Judicial District from 1978 to 1982, then an Administrative judge of Nassau County from 1982 to 1986, and an associate justice of the New York Appellate Division, Second Judicial Department, from 1986 to 1989.

[1] His service terminated on June 12, 2020, due to his death at his home in Commack, New York, of the effects of blood cancer.

[2][3] Spatt penned the ruling in the Mahender and Varsha Sabhnani slavery federal criminal trial.

He awarded rare double damages to Indonesian maids - Samirah, $620,744, and Enung, $315,802.

The judgment's award of double damages in federal criminal trials is notable, since the punitive sums are only, ordinarily granted in civil cases.