Born in Louisville, Kentucky,[1] Ballantine received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Kentucky in 1948 and a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Louisville School of Law in 1954.

[2] On September 27, 1977, Ballantine was nominated by President Jimmy Carter to a seat on the United States District Court for the Western District of Kentucky vacated by Judge Clifton Rhodes Bratcher.

Ballantine was confirmed by the United States Senate on October 12, 1977, and received his commission the same day.

He served as Chief Judge from 1990 to 1991, assuming senior status due to a certified disability on November 26, 1991.

[2] He had been diagnosed with lung cancer in June 1991 and it was the progression of that condition that forced him to take senior status and ultimately resulted in his death.