Judge Matthew Sweet
How is this compared?
This judge: 13 of 193 (6.7 %) got relief. The other judges in the court: 1,088 of 16,929 (6.4 %). We say "more" or "less" only when the difference is statistically clear (two-proportion test, 95%); otherwise "similar".
Decisions over 12 months
In plain words
Out of every 100 cases this judge decided, 7 got relief. Even so, most end without relief.
16 of every 100 cases were decided in absentia, that is, without the person at the hearing.
There are not enough cases with and without an attorney to compare them.
Of their 193 decisions, 13 ended with relief, 12 with the case closed, 20 with voluntary departure and 148 with a removal order.
| Outcome | Decisions | % |
|---|---|---|
| Relief | 13 | 6.7 % |
| Case closed | 12 | 6.2 % |
| Voluntary departure | 20 | 10.4 % |
| Removal order | 148 | 76.7 % |
| Decided in absentia | 31 | 16.1 % |
This judge, the court and the nation
With Matthew Sweet, the share of cases with relief is 6.7 %: similar than at the Annandale court (6.4 %) and higher than nationwide (2.4 %).
With Matthew Sweet, the share of removal orders is 76.7 %: higher than at the Annandale court (72.1 %) and higher than nationwide (75.6 %).
With Matthew Sweet, the share of cases decided in absentia is 16.1 %: lower than at the Annandale court (26.6 %) and lower than nationwide (45.3 %).
With Matthew Sweet, the share of people with an attorney is 84.5 %: higher than at the Annandale court (64.3 %) and higher than nationwide (38.1 %).
Cases with Matthew Sweet take longer than at the Annandale court: a median of 901 days versus 719.
Compared with other judges
- Ranked 9 of 24 for relief among the judges of their court (1 = most relief).
- Ranked 15 of 24 for cases decided in absentia (1 = most in absentia).
- Ranked 23 of 24 for speed (1 = fastest).
- Grants relief more often than 87 of every 100 judges nationwide (among 850 judges with 50 or more decisions).
Decisions per month (Sep 2025 – Aug 2026)
The busiest month was Jun 2026 (63 decisions) and the quietest Sep 2025 (0).
| Month | Decisions | Relief | In absentia | Vs. prior month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 2025 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Oct 2025 | 0 | 0 | 0 | same |
| Nov 2025 | 0 | 0 | 0 | same |
| Dec 2025 | 0 | 0 | 0 | same |
| Jan 2026 | 0 | 0 | 0 | same |
| Feb 2026 | 2 | 0 | 0 | up |
| Mar 2026 | 0 | 0 | 0 | down |
| Apr 2026 | 1 | 0 | 0 | up |
| May 2026 | 40 | 1 | 7 | up |
| Jun 2026 | 63 | 2 | 13 | up |
| Jul 2026 | 56 | 10 | 9 | down |
| Aug 2026 | 31 | 0 | 2 | down |
Months with fewer than 5 decisions are dotted: with so few cases, that month's percentage says little.
By nationality
The nationality with the most decisions before Matthew Sweet is Honduras (31), followed by Guatemala and El Salvador. The highest share with relief was for people from El Salvador (4.0 %).
| Country of origin | Decisions | Relief | In absentia |
|---|---|---|---|
| Honduras | 31 | 0.0 % | 9.7 % |
| Guatemala | 28 | 0.0 % | 10.7 % |
| El Salvador | 25 | 4.0 % | 12.0 % |
Only countries with 25 or more decisions with this judge; cases without a recorded nationality are not included.
With and without an attorney
| Decisions | Relief | |
|---|---|---|
| With an attorney | 163 | 8.0 % |
| Without an attorney | limited data | — |
Where this judge decides
- Annandale Immigration Court: 193 decisions (100.0 %)