He enlisted in the United States Marine Corps, serving in the Pacific during World War II from 1942 to 1946 and achieving the rank of captain.

[1] On April 14, 1980, Spiegel was nominated by President Jimmy Carter to a seat on the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio vacated by Judge David Stewart Porter.

Spiegel was confirmed by the United States Senate on May 21, 1980, and received his commission on May 23, 1980.

Spiegel had previously sentenced Erpenbeck to prison for obstruction of justice.

[2] Spiegel wrote a book titled A Trial On Its Merits, which was published in 2009, and he continued to hear cases until shortly before his death.