Born in Rockford, Illinois, Ideman received a Bachelor of Arts degree from The Citadel in 1953 and a Juris Doctor from the USC Gould School of Law in 1963.
From 1963 to 1964 he was law clerk to superior court judge McIntyre Faries.
[7] On May 24, 1984, Ideman was nominated by President Ronald Reagan to a seat on the United States District Court for the Central District of California vacated by Judge Lawrence Tupper Lydick.
Ideman was confirmed by the United States Senate on June 15, 1984, and received his commission the same day.
He assumed senior status on April 2, 1998, retiring fully on September 11, 1998.